


Innocent Feelings

by the_eye_of_the_panda



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, High School, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:14:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 69,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_eye_of_the_panda/pseuds/the_eye_of_the_panda
Summary: Something about Gohan has been puzzling Videl, and as she slowly understands, it starts to affect the way she sees her spiky-haired friend… Watch how things evolve between the two of them as they grow closer. **Warning! FLUFF**
Relationships: Videl Satan/Son Gohan
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

Innocent Feelings

1

_Blush_

* * *

It happened for the first time on the second week after Gohan got in her class. During his first week, they had kind of become friends, even though Videl kept getting the feeling that he wasn't being completely truthful, but no physical contact was made.

On the second week, however, while they were playing baseball in PE, they had reached for a rolling ball at the same time and their hands touched. Gohan had straightened up so fast she hardly saw his movement, but she did see very well how beet-red his face had gotten. He was blushing furiously and stuttering an apology, and even Videl had to admit – he looked adorable. She was, however, a little confused by his strong reaction, so after PE, she decided to touch his hand again, to see if he would react the same way.

So, as they were talking and walking together back to class, with Erasa and Sharpner walking ahead of them, Videl "accidentally" brushed his hand with hers. As she suspected, he gulped audibly, his face flaring up even as he tried to look as if nothing had happened. She thought it was kind of cute that Gohan would blush every time he had physical contact with a girl, and assumed he was just really shy, given that he'd been homeschooled his whole life.

But then some time later, a girl from their class was openly flirting with him by his locker – even going as far as touching his arm! But… to Videl's surprise – Gohan didn't blush. He didn't even seem to notice the girl's advances. He acted like it was just a friendly conversation, and soon enough the girl gave up and left, obviously frustrated. Videl was confused. Why didn't Gohan blush like usual? Maybe he got used to being around girls and overcame his shyness or something… Yeah, that probably was the reason.

From there, Videl stopped thinking about it and focused back to unmasking Satan City's new superhero, the Great Saiyaman. She would chase him around the city with her jetcopter, corner him to pry information out of him, and even jump at his helmet to try and unmask him. Of course, with the man's super powers, all of her attempts had been futile.

One day, however, the blushing thing with Gohan happened again. After class, she had noticed that he had forgotten his math book, so Videl brought it to him while he was, strangely enough, heading for the roof. As she handed it to him, their hands brushed, and Gohan blushed deep red instantly, leaving in a rush while throwing a "see you tomorrow!" over his shoulder.

And again, Videl was confused.

She had thought that he had just been really shy with girls at first, but that now he'd gotten used to being around members of the opposite sex. But that wasn't it, apparently, as any physical contact with her seemed to make him blush every time. It seemed to work only with her.

Did that mean… Could it be that Gohan…?

She felt heat rush to her face at the thought. Did Gohan _like_ her? It would certainly explain why he blushed every time they touched. Now that she thought about it, he was always nervous around her, and she had caught him looking at her quite a few times too. It made sense.

Gohan liked her.

Following this discovery, Videl found it hard to look at Gohan without blushing a little. She admitted to herself that he was handsome. Plus, he was kind, smart, caring, sweet, funny, fun to hang out with… _and_ he liked her. Not because she was famous, or because of who her dad was. He genuinely liked her, for who she was.

If it weren't for her father's rule of "no boy can date my daughter unless he's stronger than me", she figured she wouldn't have minded going out with Gohan. But the boy wasn't a fighter; she'd seen him take a punch to the face, only to crash into a pile of boxes back when she was still suspecting him to be the Great Saiyaman. That incident had definitely changed her mind about it.

As time went on however, things only got worse for Videl – she began to develop a crush on the boy. She tried to persuade herself that it was just a stupid little crush, that it would go away soon enough, but the more time she spent with Gohan, the more smitten she found herself to be.

It had been almost two months since Gohan started high school now, and Videl's feelings for the boy still didn't go away, only growing stronger it seemed. She was telling herself that she wouldn't make a move on him because of her father, but in truth, she could just date Gohan behind his back. No, the real reason was that she was scared.

Videl Satan, scared to be in a relationship. Now wasn't that just rich…

As she walked home after school, the girl's thoughts kept going back to Gohan. His adorable, sometimes silly smiles, his handsome, naive eyes, the way he scratched the back of his head when he was nervous or embarrassed, or just confused… his gentle expression when he looked at her sometimes, and of course, how cute he looked when he blushed.

She didn't realize she was crossing the street on a red light until she heard the loud shrill of a horn. Turning her head, she saw a truck failing to break as it headed towards her at astonishing speed. It was going to be too late she realized; even if she tried, she wouldn't be fast enough to avoid it. Momentarily frozen, she was jostled by a sharp jerk at her arm, and the next thing she knew – she slammed against something… hard. But it wasn't the truck, for she heard it behind her as it sped right past her. Blinking, Videl realized that she was wrapped against someone's chest; a male somebody, one who was evidently tall for she barely reached his shoulders. Blushing slightly at their position, she looked up to face and possibly thank her savior, only…

She was met with Gohan's concerned eyes.

"Are you okay Videl? You really gave me a scare just now…"

Surprisingly, the first thought that crossed her mind was:

_He's not blushing…_

Snapping out of it, she answered his question. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to you," she added with a grateful smile.

Gohan flushed intensely all of a sudden, as if he'd just realized the position they were in. Immediately, he stepped back from her, avoiding her gaze while awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

 _Guess I didn't have to wait long_ , she thought with an amused smile. He looked so cute when he blushed like that, and the fact that she was the only one who could make him so nervous and flustered was quite enticing. Feeling a little devious, she decided to tease him slightly.

Moving closer to him, her chest inches apart from his, she peered up at his face and touched his arm, pulling her best innocent look. He got even redder, gulping loudly as beads of sweat rolled down his face. Inwardly, she smirked.

"Are you okay, Gohan? Your face is all red…" she said in a concerned voice, even though she knew very well that she was the reason he was blushing so much.

"Y-Yeah, I'm g-good," he stuttered uneasily. She then reached up, touching his forehead as Gohan kept getting redder, his eyes slightly wide as he stared at her.

"Your face is burning," she said quietly. She wondered if it was such a good idea to tease him – his face looked just about ready to burst.

"I-I'm fine Videl, really," he insisted, though his breathing was getting heavier too.

 _Am I having that much of an effect on him?_ She silently wondered, still looking up at his flushed face. Gohan looked away.

"Um… Vi… Videl?" he called in an unusually high-pitched voice, looking more and more nervous.

"Yes?"

"Y-You're… Um… You're really c-close… I-It's… Um… It's m-making me… uncomfortable… " the boy stammered, his face as beet-red as ever. Videl cracked a smile; he looked so adorable when he was nervous. Regardless, she took a step back, deciding that she had teased him enough.

"Sorry, I didn't realize," she lied. Gohan looked back at her and smiled softly, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks slowly cooled down.

"Ah, it's fine. It's just… " His voice trailed off and he blushed again. Videl looked at him with curiosity, wondering what he was about to say.

"It's just, what?" she asked, urging him to go on.

"Nevermind," he said quickly, shaking his head as if to clear his mind. "I'll get going then. Be more careful when you cross the road, okay? See you tomorrow, Videl."

He turned around and began to walk away, but the girl's voice stopped him:

"You like me, don't you?"

His heart stopped for a moment, and then it started doing a marathon in his chest, beating so fast that he felt like it was going to explode any second now. He swallowed; his back was still to her, and the teen wasn't sure he was ready to face her now. How did she find out? Was he really that obvious?

Gohan breathed in deeply, gathering some courage. He didn't want to lie to her, not this time, not about his feelings. For once, he wanted to be honest with Videl.

"Yes," he replied. Then, he turned around to face her; she was blushing, her eyes wide with surprise. She probably didn't expect him to confirm it, he figured.

"Yes," he repeated, with more confidence. "I do like you."

Time seemed to stand still as the two stared at each other. They weren't aware of the busy streets around them; it was like the world went mute. Slowly, Videl stepped towards Gohan, not breaking eye contact. Her hand found his much larger one, intertwining their finger; she cracked a smile when the tall boy blushed again, glancing down at their joined hands before looking back at her.

"I didn't expect you to admit it," she said honestly. "I thought you were going to deny it."

"I figured as much," he chuckled softly, using his free hand to scratch the back of his head. "But I… I didn't want to lie. I'm terrible at it anyway."

Videl grinned at this: she could only agree. "Yeah, you sure are."

They stayed silent for a time, still gazing into each other's eyes and smiling. Although Videl didn't verbally accept his feelings, Gohan felt light-hearted. He'd begun developing feelings for her quite fast, and had been trying to hide it for the past several weeks. Obviously, he didn't do such a good job, but now he couldn't care less. Videl was holding his hand, she was smiling at him, she wasn't pushing him away. She may have not said it out loud, but even as clueless as he usually was, Gohan knew that she wasn't rejecting him.

Nonetheless, he needed her to confirm it. He needed to make sure that he wasn't just imagining things, that he actually had a chance with her. He needed to hear her say it.

He flushed at the thought of asking her bluntly, but he couldn't really think of another way to bring it up. So, gathering his courage, and trying not to stutter, Gohan asked:

"Does that mean… Um… Do you feel the same way…?"

A pink hue covered her cheeks as she looked away shyly – an expression Gohan rarely saw on her, if ever, but one he wished he could see more often. He really liked that cute side of her.

"Well… Um… I… "

Gohan chuckled as her face got redder. Well, he wasn't the one stuttering and blushing for once. And he could really get used to this side of Videl.

She bit her lip in hesitation – something the Son boy thought looked absolutely adorable. Acting on impulse, he lifted her chin to make her look at him, smiling softly when he met her eyes.

She looked away again, her face growing hotter, and leaned in to bury her face in his chest. She sighed in frustration while Gohan wrapped one arm around her, his other hand still holding hers – giving it a light squeeze.

"Do I really need to say it? It's embarrassing," she complained, keeping her blushing cheeks hidden against his chest. He chuckled, feeling his face heat up as he dared bury it in her neck, relishing her beautiful scent.

"I guess you don't," he whispered softly, unknowingly making her shiver as his breath brushed her skin. "But I would like to hear you say it."

She stayed silent, and Gohan couldn't help feeling disappointed, figuring that she was too embarrassed to tell him how she felt. He really wished she would, though.

His arm tightened around her suddenly.

"I really like you, you know," he said softly. His heart began racing in his chest and his face heated up some more as he kept going, "So, um… since you didn't reject me… Um… " He trailed off, and Videl pulled away slightly to look at him. Her eyes grew slightly wider as she realized what he wanted to ask her. Not looking away, the girl bit her lip, waiting for him to continue. She could feel her face become hotter and hotter as his expression softened.

Somehow, gazing at her beautiful eyes soothed him, and Gohan smiled as the words escaped his lips with surprising ease.

"Will you go out with me?"


	2. Misunderstanding

" _Will you go out with me?"_

The words seemed to hang in the air as Videl stayed silent, her eyes not leaving his. Gohan was looking at her with a hopeful, gentle smile stretching his lips as he waited for her answer.

Videl bit her lip and looked down. She wanted to say yes. God, how she wished she could say yes… But how would her dad react? Would he actually demand to fight Gohan? Yes, she could always date Gohan behind his back, but… how long would their secret last?

What if _they_ didn't last?

"Videl…?"

She closed her eyes. She was such a coward. How could she be so fearless and fight dangerous criminals without a second thought, and yet be so scared of ending up with a broken heart?

She heard Gohan sigh, and looked back at him – only he was avoiding her eye now. His hand let go of hers then, his other arm released her waist, and he stepped back. Videl shivered as his warmth left her.

"I'm sorry," he said, still avoiding looking at her. "I thought…" He sighed again, running his hand through his spiky hair. "I guess I misunderstood."

Her heart dropped. She lowered her head and clenched her fists, mentally berating herself. Great. Just great. Because of her own cowardice, now Gohan thought that she didn't like him back.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," he continued quietly. He sighed again. "I better get going… See you tomorrow."

When Videl looked up, Gohan was already walking away, his hands in his pockets, his shoulder slumped. Reaching out towards him, the girl opened her mouth to say something, anything, to hold him back, but no sound came out. She felt a dry lump form in her throat as Gohan got further and further away, thinking that she rejected him, that she didn't share his feelings. That he misunderstood her actions.

 _You idiot, it's now that you're misunderstanding my actions,_ she thought helplessly, watching until Gohan was out of sight; her arm fell to her side as the tall boy disappeared in the crowd.

She felt terrible. The boy she had a crush on just confessed to her and asked her out, and because of her foolish hesitation he concluded that she didn't like him back. She knew it must have been difficult for Gohan to confess, with how shy he was; but what made her feel worse was the fact that she was the one who brought it up in the first place. She didn't even know what had possessed her to ask him if he liked her – it was just so damn _obvious_ , she couldn't help it. Although, she honestly hadn't thought that Gohan would answer her truthfully… and she had felt so happy when he did.

And then he'd asked her out, catching her completely off guard but also bringing out all of her fears and hesitations. Which made him believe that she was rejecting him.

Gah! _Why_ didn't she say yes?

ooOoo

Things only got worse from there. Every time Videl tried to talk to Gohan, he got really tense and left in a rush, obviously avoiding her. She couldn't blame him, she knew it was her fault that Gohan believed, albeit wrongly, that she didn't share his feelings. But how on earth was she supposed to explain herself if she couldn't even freaking talk to him?!

Gohan also stopped having lunch with her, Erasa and Sharpner, and he even changed his seat in class to the front, pretexting – and visibly lying – that his eyesight was getting bad. He pretty much stopped hanging out with them, much to the confusion of the two blondes. In two months, they had become good friends with him and come to enjoy his company – yes, even Sharpner, despite what he might say – and now it was like it all never happened. Like they weren't friends anymore.

And it was frustrating the hell out of Videl.

Not only was Gohan avoiding her, but he was also letting this misunderstanding affect their friends. For someone so smart, the boy could sure act childishly. If she could just talk to him for one minute… But the idiot wasn't even giving her that minute!

She wasn't about to give up without a fight though; Videl Satan wasn't known for her unfailing determination for no reason, after all. She just had to find a way that would make Gohan listen to her, whether he liked it or not.

After about a week of trying, and failing to get Gohan to hear her out, the solution suddenly hit her during lunch. After all, she'd had two months to understand just how much the guy loved food. She was pretty sure that he wouldn't interrupt his favorite time of the day for anything, not even if she tried talking to him – well, she hoped so. It was her best bet anyway.

With that idea in mind, Videl excused herself from her friends and left the cafeteria to go looking for Gohan, determined to clear up the misunderstanding.

She found the oblivious teen sitting by himself at one of the picnic tables in the courtyard, devouring his enormous lunch like only he was able to. There were a bunch of kids around having lunch outside, but no one in hearing range. It was the perfect time to go to him: he still had plenty of food around him, and no one would disturb them. Videl walked up to him.

"Gohan, can we talk?"

He jumped when he heard her, then started coughing as he tried to swallow his food, hitting his chest several times to make it pass. The girl frowned in concern as she sat down beside him, asking him if he was alright. He kept coughing as he nodded, then finally swallowed, breathing out a sigh of relief. She grabbed a bottle of water from the table and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed ever so slightly as Gohan took the bottle, and without fail his cheeks reddened a little. Avoiding her gaze, he muttered a quiet "thanks" before gulping down the refreshing drink.

He set the bottle aside, glanced at her quickly then turned to his food, as if he was wondering if it was okay to continue eating now. Videl cracked a smile at the look on his face, watching his meal longingly, obviously restraining himself while she was there.

"Gohan, about the other day…" she trailed off as she saw him tense right away, his fists tightly closed in his lap. Trying not to let his reaction affect her, she kept going, "I wanted to say—"

"Please don't."

His voice was soft as he cut her off. Videl blinked, having not expected him to interrupt her. Then she frowned. Was he going to leave again before she had a chance to tell him what she meant to say? She couldn't let that happen, not again.

"Gohan, listen—"

"Don't," he cut her off again. "Please Videl, just don't. It hurts enough to think about it and see you every day… Please don't bring it up."

"But Gohan—"

"Videl, please. If you want to apologize, or whatever, you don't need to. It's not your fault anyway, it's mine. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly, I shouldn't have put you in such an awkward position… I shouldn't have asked you out at all."

He whispered the last part, having not looked at her once while he spoke. Then, he stood up, still avoiding looking at her, said that he didn't feel like eating anymore, and walked away.

Videl was dumbfounded. But it was quickly replaced by a very strong frustration. She couldn't believe the guy! He wouldn't even let her finish one freaking sentence for god's sake! He said that he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions that day, but he just kept doing it now! Just how dumb could he be?!

"You idiot!" she yelled, suddenly standing up.

Her frustrated cry was followed by silence, as now everyone around was looking at her. But Videl was way too upset to care. She glared at Gohan, who was now looking back at her with a surprised and confused expression. It only made her angrier.

"Why won't you just let me talk goddammit! I've been trying and _trying_ to clear up this misunderstanding, but you just keep getting in my way! You're such a pain! Gah!"

He blinked, obviously not getting why she was so worked up. She gritted her teeth as she struggled not to go strangle the handsome idiot for being so irritatingly clueless.

"… Misunderstanding?" he repeated slowly, clearly not getting it. The crowd around them kept quiet and looked on with interest, their heads following the boy and the girl across the courtyard as one spoke up.

"Just how dumb can you be!" Videl fumed, visibly unaffected by their audience. "You never even let me answer you, and just concluded that I said no! And I've been trying to clear it up all week and _you wouldn't even let me_! UGH!"

His eyes widened, his lips parting slightly. Some understanding finally reaching his face – mixed with uncertainty.

"Wha…Wha…?" he trailed off, looking utterly dumbstruck.

"You still don't get it?" she continued a bit more calmly. Though, still very much upset. To the onlookers' surprise, a deep blush formed on her cheeks as Videl kept glaring at the resident school nerd.

"I wanted to say yes!" she blurted out, her face beet-red. "In fact, I'd love to be your girlfriend!"

The silence never felt thicker as it did then; but when the information sank in, whispers broke out from everywhere around, and Videl suddenly became very much aware of her audience. Her blush got even brighter at the realization that all eyes were focused on her. Embarrassed beyond belief, she ran away from the courtyard, wanting nothing more than to find a hole and hide in there forever.

As her steps got further and further away, Gohan found himself going after her, tuning out the whispers that were getting louder and louder. He didn't even pause when the bell rang. He couldn't care less at the moment.


	3. Together

When Videl didn't come back to the cafeteria after the bell rang, her two blonde friends shared a look, wondering where she was. Maybe she got a call from the police on her way to wherever she had been headed; if that were the case they probably wouldn't see her until much later.

Their assumption turned out wrong, however, as when Erasa and Sharpner got back in class, Ruler, the boy with glasses that sat in front of them, immediately filled them in on what happened in the courtyard.

"You guys won't believe it!"

And indeed, they had trouble believing the story. However, Ruler wasn't the only one who had seen the scene, and they all confirmed his version.

"I guess it does make sense," Erasa observed thoughtfully.

"What do you mean? Of course it doesn't make any sense!" Sharpner countered indignantly. "Why would Videl prefer Brains over me?"

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. Why Sharpner still believed he had a chance with Videl, even after all the times she'd clearly – and sometimes violently – rejected him, remained a mystery.

"Think about it!" she pressed on. "Gohan started avoiding Videl about a week ago, right? That must've been when this misunderstanding took place."

"Well maybe it wasn't a misunderstanding!" Sharpner pleaded, still denying the obvious.

"I don't think so," Ruler commented. "Videl clearly said that she wanted to be with Gohan."

"To be more precise," Rubby, a girl sitting behind them cut in, making them all turn their head toward the chestnut-haired teen. "What she said was, and I quote: 'in fact, I'd love to be your girlfriend!'"

"That can't be true!" protested the long-haired boy.

"That's what she said though," Ruler confirmed, shrugging his shoulders. "We were quite surprised, too. I mean, it's pretty obvious that Gohan likes Videl, but no one would have guessed that she likes him too."

"I don't get why Videl never talked to me about it," Erasa pouted, crossing her arms. "I'm her best friend!"

"You know Videl's not the kind of girl to talk about that stuff," Rubby reminded. "She looked really embarrassed when she realized that everyone was staring at her, too."

"I can't believe she likes that bookworm!" Sharpner lamented pitifully. His friends shook their heads at him. And then went back to discussing the topic of Videl and Gohan.

Oddly enough, all this happened while the elderly teacher kept droning on his lecture, seemingly oblivious of the discussions in his class. Or maybe he just didn't care.

ooOoo

She knew he was running after her; he had called out her name several times already, but Videl felt too ashamed to face anyone right now, especially not Gohan. She didn't want him to see her like this.

It was so embarrassing. It shouldn't have happened like that, and certainly not in front of everyone. She had only wanted to clear up the misunderstanding between them, but now she had just made a fool of herself in public and was most likely the topic of all conversations at school. Why did it turn out like this?

"Videl, wait! Please!" she heard Gohan call out from behind her; but she just kept running, unwilling to stop and face him. She just couldn't. Not now.

She vaguely heard him curse under his breath, and then out of the blue she felt a sharp jerk at her arm and landed right on his chest, his arms wrapping around her shoulders and holding her firmly against him.

"Will you stop running away already?" He muttered, his arms tightening around her.

He didn't say anything else afterward, simply held her in his arms, and Videl kept quiet as well, slightly winded from running. She didn't quite understand how Gohan wasn't even the slightest bit out of breath, or how he had managed to catch up with her in an instant for that matter – but her mind drifted off as the boy's scent reached her nostrils.

She wondered what kind of aftershave he used, because he smelled really nice. Like a refreshing wind, and wild nature, mixed with his unique fragrance. As Videl slowly regained her breath, she found herself soothed by Gohan's slightly intoxicating scent. She felt safe in his arms, peaceful. She liked how he was so much bigger than her, how he seemed to engulf her completely; she liked how she felt at ease and comfortable, snuggled up to him like this.

"Can we talk now?" Gohan asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"So now you want to talk?" Videl replied with a chuckle. She didn't expect Gohan to suddenly tighten his hold around her at this.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry, Videl. I'm such an idiot."

"It's… fine," she breathed in response. "You're not the only one at fault, I did my share of stupid things too."

He chuckled, and she smiled as it caused his chest to vibrate against her cheek. "I guess we're both not really good at this huh?"

"Mhmm," she nodded, closing her eyes as she enjoyed their closeness. It felt so nice. His warmth, his arms, his scent, and the strong, steady sound of his heartbeats… The girl could definitely get used to being held like this. She hadn't expected Gohan to feel so strong and solid, though… Now that she was all snuggled up against him, she was really beginning to notice just how broad his chest and shoulders were, and she could definitely feel hard muscles through the fabric of his shirt.

Videl blushed slightly at her thoughts. Was Gohan the type to work out? He didn't seem like it… Maybe he simply practiced some kind of sport…?

"Videl?"

She blinked her eyes open as his hesitant voice brought her out of her musing. Her lips broke into a smile as she noticed that his heart was beating a little faster; she was pretty sure he was blushing, too.

"Yes?"

"I…" He suddenly took a deep breath. "I want to do it right, this time."

"Do it right…?" she repeated slowly, a bit confused.

As a reply, his arms tightened a bit more around her shoulders, and his face leaned in closer; she could feel his breath tickling her ear now, making her shiver slightly.

"I like you, Videl," he said softly, the words making her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "I like you… a lot. I have for a while now… I think you're… truly beautiful… and your eyes…" His voice trailed off, and he took a deep breath before continuing. "And you're really smart, and strong, talented, courageous, honest… You really care about people, you help them the best you can, and I've always admired that about you. You're also really stubborn, and though sometimes I wish you weren't so hot-headed, it's also a part of you that I like, and I wouldn't change you for anything… I just like you the way you are. I really, really like you."

Her heart was racing. Her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt, and she closed her eyes, trying to pull herself together. It was a wonder how his words could make her feel so flustered and nervous, yet so happy at the same time.

"I want to be with you, Videl," he went on, his arms tightening a little more around her. "I… I want to be your boyfriend. I want to spend more time with you, only with you. I want to make new memories with you, and learn new things about you. I just… I want to be with you. Go out with me, Videl."

He fell silent, waiting for her answer, still holding her close. Slowly, Videl let go of his shirt and moved her arms up, wrapping them around his neck; she was glad that he couldn't see how much she was blushing from their position. Trying to calm her pounding heart, she whispered,

"How could I ever say no to you when you tell me all these beautiful things?"

Gohan slowly moved his arms down and wrapped them around her waist, almost crushing the petite girl against him as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I'm glad…"

They stayed like this for some time, holding each other close, simply savoring the moment. Eventually, however, Gohan pulled away slightly, though still keeping her in his arms, and smiled brightly as he looked down at her, a light blush coloring his cheeks. She couldn't help smiling back at him – it was impossible not to when he looked at her like that.

He took one of his hands from her waist and reached up to move away a few strands from her face, his eyes softening. She bit down on her lip as his fingers tentatively brushed her forehead, her temple, her cheek, his touch so gentle – and yet so shy, so innocent. Their gazes locked again, and Videl felt her heart pick up from the intensity in Gohan's onyx orbs. His hand cupped her cheek then, his thumb softly caressing her jaw. Slowly, he leaned in, his eyelids closing, and Videl did the same, her heart hammering as their faces inched closer.

The bell chose this moment to ring, announcing the end of the current period. Both teens pulled apart instantly, their faces bright red in embarrassment as they now stood at a safe distance from one another, avoiding each other's eyes .

"Um…" Gohan started, but he found nothing to say and simply rubbed his neck.

"I guess we missed class huh," Videl said lamely. Who cared about class? They almost kissed just now!

"Oh, yeah, class…" Gohan recalled weakly. And then he suddenly panicked: "Oh no, class! We missed it! Oh no, oh no… My mom's gonna kill me!"

Videl looked at him, baffled. Was he serious? How could he worry about missing class after what almost just happened? He couldn't be that much of a nerd, could he? And to think he was her boyfriend now.

She suddenly flushed at the realization. Gohan was her boyfriend. They were… together. And they almost kissed. The girl touched her cheek: it was tingling. The feeling of his large hand cupping the side of her face, his thumb softly caressing her skin… it still lingered. She could still feel his breath tickle her lips as they were inches apart, so close from contact.

"Videl, we have to go to the last period now, we can't miss another class," the serious student advised, bringing her out of her thoughts. The raven-haired girl frowned; couldn't he think about something other than school?

Then she smirked, and Gohan looked slightly taken aback. "And why not? Ditching class is a common thing among teenagers, and you should act more like your age, Mr. Perfect Scores."

"D-D-Ditching class?" he stuttered, looking absolutely horrified with the idea – yet it only made Videl more determined to convince him.

"Come on Gohan, nothing's gonna happen to your perfect grades if you ditch a couple classes. You could always say that you didn't feel well and went home early – it's the common excuse, really."

"Videl…"

The girl in question went over to him and grabbed his hand, looking up at him with a pleading smile. "Come on, please? Didn't you say you wanted to spend more time with me?"

"Well I… I do. But…" he trailed off, hesitating.

"Please, Gohan?" she insisted. "Besides, if we go back to class now after what happened at lunch, we won't be left alone. Everyone will want to know what happened and all – I'm really not looking forward to that," Videl added with a light blush, looking to the side. Gohan sighed.

"Okay, fine…" he finally relented, scratching his hair with his free hand. "I'm not really looking forward to facing everyone either, now that—"

He abruptly stopped and Videl looked back at him, unable to control the grin that formed on her lips as she saw how flushed he was.

"Now that…?" she pressed on. Teasing him was just too tempting.

He just got redder and attempted to reply, but only intelligible stutters came out of his mouth. The girl could only grin wider at the adorable sight. Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against him as she tried to catch his avoiding gaze.

"Now that what, Gohan?" she asked again. He had turned completely crimson at this point; he was just too cute.

"Vi-Videl, you're really n-not helping now…" the boy stammered, finally looking at her. She chuckled, her eyes gleaming with mirth.

"It's just too fun to tease you," she said, a broad grin lighting up her face. Gohan smiled in turn, his eyes softening, and gently brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

"If it makes you smile like that, then I don't mind."

Heat rushed to her face as she stared at the handsome young man, that dazzling smile on his lips; his soft touch on her cheek was making her knees go weak. Swallowing, Videl quickly looked away and grabbed his hand, proceeding to lead him out of the school grounds.

"Anyways, let's go."


	4. Date

As Videl led him through the school gates, Gohan kept glancing down at their joined hands, feeling his face heat up slightly. He still had trouble coming to terms with everything that had happened since lunch.

His gaze lingered on their linked hands for a bit longer, marveling at the contrast between his large, thick hand and her own, so much smaller and slender. He looked back at the pretty girl, pulling him down the street, and cracked a smile as he noticed that she, too, was blushing. They were both completely new to this dating thing, after all.

Gohan's face flared up intensely at that thought; the notion was slowly but surely sinking in. They were dating. He and Videl, they were actually dating. She was his girlfriend, she accepted his feelings, they were together now…

And they almost kissed.

It was like the memory of that fleeting moment suddenly hit him, and the boy flushed even more. Somehow, the idea of missing class had distracted him from thinking back about it. Now, however, it was like he simply could not think of anything else. The way Videl's big, beautiful eyes twinkled as she'd watched him silently, biting down her lip in that adorable way; how her skin had felt so smooth under his touch, and how that warm yet strange fluttering sensation in his stomach had become so much stronger while he had leaned in on impulse, his heart racing in his chest. Everything came back to him, and Gohan swallowed, his mouth getting dry. He shook his head slightly to try to clear his head, and looked about the streets, trying to distract his mind from that very vivid memory.

"Where are we going?" he found himself asking. Videl looked back at him and slowed down her pace, now walking beside him.

"I don't really know," she said with a shrug. "I'm just putting more distance between the school and us."

"Ah, okay."

 _I can't believe I'm ditching class… Mom is really going to kill me,_ Gohan thought dreadfully. He scratched the back of his head with his free hand as he glanced at the girl who persuaded him, _his girlfriend_ , and felt his face heat up yet again.

Could this be considered… their first date?

This time, his face was burning badly, and the teen bit down his lip in hesitation.

"Is there… Is there somewhere you want to go? Or… something you would like to do in particular?" he asked her anxiously, his face deep red as he met her gaze again. Videl raised her eyebrows; then she averted her eyes as a reddish hue spread across her cheeks, obviously coming to the same conclusion as him, just moments ago.

"I… I don't know. I didn't really think about it," she replied quietly. "What about you?"

She looked back at him; her blue eyes were distracting, however, and Gohan had to look away in order to answer her properly.

"How about we just wander in the city?" he suggested after some thought, turning to her as he spoke. "I mean, I usually just go to school and go back home every day, maybe you could show me around some nice places? Would that be okay?"

Videl smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's a great idea."

He smiled brightly in response, and she chuckled softly. Looking about the streets, she seemed to check where exactly they were, probably thinking of where they could go first. Soon enough, she turned back to Gohan.

"There's an ice-cream parlor a few blocks away, how about we head there for a start?"

Videl smirked when Gohan's face lit up completely and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, great idea. I'd love some ice-cream."

"I figured that much," she said with an amused grin. Tugging at his hand, she started leading him again. "Come on, this way."

Gohan smiled happily, letting his girlfriend lead him to the ice-cream parlor. His grin got wider at the thought. Videl was his girlfriend. Videl, a girl he would never have imagined he could have, chose _him_ , out of all the boys she could easily be with. And they were on a date now. His heart was soaring in joy.

"There we are," the girl in question stated, bringing him out of his daydream as she stopped in front of the parlor. The Son boy hardly had the time to really see the colorful sign before he was pulled inside. He glanced at their still joined hands, his ever-present smile never wavering.

As he and Videl moved to the waiting line, the young Saiyan looked around the parlor. He first noticed that it wasn't very crowded; not many people were standing in the line either. That was a good thing, as they wouldn't need to wait very long. Next, he took note of the decor; the shop was neither small nor too big, some posters were featuring the different kinds of ice-cream they sold, and circles of various sizes and colors decorated the walls. A counter and bar stools were set opposite to the shop window, along with several tables and seats, as well as a few booths in the corners, where some customers were settled in. Finally, the tall boy's attention quickly turned to the shop window, and his eyes lit up upon seeing how many different flavors of ice-cream and sorbet were displayed. There were also fresh fruits as well as various kinds of nuts and chips, and finally cups of different sizes were lined on top of the window. The teen grinned toothily: this place looked simply perfect.

Gohan heard a muffled sound and turned to the source, namely Videl, who was trying, and failing, to contain a sudden fit of giggles. He tilted his head to the side, confused as to what could be so funny all of a sudden. He didn't have to wait long to get the answer.

"The look on your face… I knew you would love it here," she grinned widely, her eyes shining with laughter. The tall boy blushed slightly and lowered his gaze in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck out of habit. Another giggle reached his ears, and then out of nowhere soft lips pressed on his cheek.

Stunned onyx met playful blue; a reddish hue colored her pale cheeks, while a shy yet broad smile decorated her lips. Gohan could feel his own face flare up as he stared at her, dumbfounded by the unexpected kiss. In that moment, the clerk called for their attention and Videl turned toward the young woman, tugging at his hand as she got to the front of the counter to make an order.

Tuning out what was going on, the Saiyan teen brushed his cheek with the tip of his fingers, and a small smile formed on his lips as he held her hand a little tighter.

Videl _was_ his girlfriend. As much as he was having trouble realizing that it was actually happening, that he was actually on a _date_ with the girl he liked, the thought of it was making his stomach do incessant flip-flops. It was a strange feeling; never before had it felt so strong, so oddly delightful.

When Videl turned around to ask him what he wanted, she wasn't able to stop the heat that rushed to her cheeks as she saw the dazed, faraway look on his face. She had acted on impulse and hadn't thought much when she kissed him on the cheek – but he was just _so damn cute_! _How_ was she supposed _not to_ be affected by his adorableness? That was just impossible.

She tugged at his hand to get his attention; he blinked a few times, looked around him before refocusing his onyx eyes on her. A gentle, innocent smile formed on his lips in silent inquiry.

There it was again. The adorable look. The girl could already feel her insides melting at the sight.

Oh boy. She really had it bad didn't she?

ooOoo

Last period was always the most frustrating. Being so close to being done with school for the day, while time seemed to be slowing down somehow, was rather unsettling. Today seemed to be worse than usual, with what Erasa had learned about her best friend earlier.

She couldn't wait to be out of there and call Videl, so that she could finally know all the details of what had been going on with her and Gohan the past week, as well as where she was right now. Could they be together somewhere now? From what her classmates said, Videl had run away after her outburst and Gohan had gone after her… Had he managed to catch up with her? She couldn't be sure, as Videl was quite the fast runner, and Gohan was… well, he didn't look very strong. Then again, neither did Videl, so she couldn't really know. Had they managed to clear things up? Or did Gohan lose sight of her and was trying to find her?

The blonde sighed heavily, resting her chin on her crossed arms, on the desk. She didn't like not knowing what was going on with her friends, and this boring class wasn't helping either. At least in the previous period the teacher had been quite lenient and didn't mind letting them chat, but now, with Ms. Skware, no one dared make a sound. It made waiting for the last bell all the more tiring… At least when they were talking time passed faster.

She was still somewhat upset that her friend would keep all this to herself. Did Videl think that she couldn't keep a secret? They were best of friends since forever, and Erasa had never hesitated sharing everything and anything with her; and yet Videl had kept something so huge all to herself. Videl _actually_ liked a boy, _at last_ , might she add, and it was none other than the sweet, innocent and super cute Gohan. That really _was_ huge news. But why would Videl keep silent about it? To her?

Yes, she knew Videl wasn't the girly type, at all, but the short haired blonde had liked to think that she would be the first to know when her best friend finally crushed on someone. It was disappointing that Videl had never even mentioned it to her; but, she hoped that she would at least get to hear the details about everything that happened when she called her.

Well, if this class was _ever_ going to end. It sure didn't feel that way…

ooOoo

Gohan was just starting to make an order when the all-too-familiar, and currently unwelcome beeping sound went off. He turned to his girlfriend, who looked at him apologetically. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and reached for the button on her wristwatch. Pausing as she was about to press it, she looked up at him with a disappointed expression.

"I'm really sorry, Gohan," Videl said with a resigned sigh, before pushing the button to answer the call.

Listening to the situation, Gohan felt more worried about her than disappointed; although, he was pretty bummed that their first date was already coming to an end. But there was no helping it…

"Okay, I'm coming right away." Ending the call, Videl sighed again as she turned to him. "I'm so sorry, Gohan. I have to go…"

"It's okay," he said with a somewhat sad, yet understanding smile. "It's your job, I get it."

"Erm, excuse me," the clerk woman called for their attention. "Should I cancel the order…?"

They turned to the woman behind the counter, then glanced at each other, a bit embarrassed. Videl sighed. Why did the police have to call her now, of all times?

"You take care of it, I'll be back later. Wait for me here, okay?" she said hurriedly. Glancing at her watch again, she took a few quick steps to the exit – only to be stopped by a firm, yet gentle hand grabbing her wrist, making her look back at the spiky-haired boy.

"Be careful, okay?"

His eyes reflected his worry and the conflicted emotions he must be struggling with. It was obvious that he didn't want her to go, yet he wasn't trying to stop her. He respected her choice and the way she lived, even though he looked so worried about her. Videl felt a pang in her heart for having to leave him behind while she was out in dangerous situations, but she was also extremely grateful that he was so understanding. Although, right now, she could've gone without that police call…

Pulling her arm backward to drag him down towards her a bit, Videl pecked him on the cheek.

"I will; I promise," she said quietly, while she pulled back. Trying to ignore the burning feeling on her cheeks, she turned around and hurriedly left the ice cream parlor.

Gohan let out a deep sigh as he watched her go. He scratched at his hair, a reddish hue also coloring his cheeks from her kiss.

"So, um… should I cancel the order after all?" the clerk asked, a little embarrassed. As the young man turned to her, he suddenly realized that their little display had had an audience, and the burning sensation in his face deepened instantly.

That was the second time today… Hopefully, it wasn't going to become a habit.

"Yes, please. Sorry for the inconvenience."

He hastily walked out the parlor, keen to escape the curious glances he was receiving. But more importantly, Gohan had to make sure his favorite crime fighter was going to be safe. The young Saiyan knew that he would have to tell her about his superhero alter ego soon, though, as he couldn't be with Videl and act as somebody else in disguise at the same time; that would be just wrong of him. Besides, he had been seriously considering telling her about it as of late.

Finding a secluded spot, he pressed the red button on his watch, waited until his special outfit replaced his regular clothes, and took off to the sky, his red cape flapping behind him as he flew towards her _ki_ signature.

As he neared his destination, Gohan promised himself that he was going to tell her about Saiyaman as soon as possible. Keeping up with this lie was no good.


	5. Restraint

_Free at last!_

Erasa barely stopped herself from shouting it out loud when the final bell of the day went off. Quickly gathering her stuff, she flung her backpack over her shoulder while grabbing her cell phone from her jeans' pocket, hurrying out of the classroom.

"Erasa, hey! Wait up!"

Stopping in her tracks as she was speeding along the hallway, the short haired girl turned around to see Sharpner come up to her. Her hand squeezed her cell a little tighter, her brows furrowing the slightest bit… _Damn it_ , she thought, _I need to call Videl!_

"What's with the rush?" asked Sharpner. Noticing the cell phone in her hand, he added, "Gotta make a call?"

"Yes, Sharpner, as a matter of fact, I do," she replied, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. "So if you'll excuse me—"

"You're not gonna call Videl, are you?" the taller boy asked, cutting her off.

She frowned. "Why shouldn't I?"

Sharpner leaned his shoulder against a random locker, raising an eyebrow at his usually bubbly friend. It wasn't like her to be snappy, and that frown creasing her features was not a familiar sight.

"She's most likely with Brains right now, you shouldn't bother them."

Her jaw dropped, wide eyes staring at the young man as if he'd just grown three heads. _What the heck?_ Less than two hours ago, Sharpner was whining and complaining that Videl chose Gohan, no, _Brains_ over him, and now all of a sudden he was okay with it? Talk about getting over a girl in a blink…

He rolled his eyes at the look she was giving him.

"What? It's not like I'm _happy_ about it," he defended. "But at least Gohan genuinely likes Videl, like, he's not after her for bad reasons or anything, and he's _actually_ a good guy. Better him than some worthless idiot."

Erasa blinked. "Wow, I can't believe it."

"What do you mean? I can be mature sometimes, too!" retorted Sharpner in an exaggeratedly indignant tone. She smirked.

"No, I mean – you used Gohan's name for like, the first time in forever. Did you ever call him by his name once? I can't even tell."

"Ha, ha, you're so funny," he said blankly, a bored expression on his face. "Whatever. Videl's got awful tastes in guys anyway. Ah, well. If she prefers brains over brawn, I guess I didn't stand much of a chance. Bah."

Erasa patted him on the shoulder, causing the teen to give her a weird look.

"You're a good friend, Sharpner," she said, smiling.

He rolled his eyes, though a light blush tinted his cheeks. "Pfft, whatever," he mumbled.

Leaning her back against the locker next to the taller boy, Erasa let out a sigh as she looked at the screen of her cell phone. It was already set to call her best friend, all she had to do was press the green key… But as much as she hated to admit it, Sharpner was right. If Videl was indeed with Gohan right now, it was best not to disturb them.

"I could just text her…" she muttered to herself.

"Erasa, leave them be," Sharpner cut in. "Wait for tonight to call her."

"What? I can't wait that long!" the girl cried out, horrified by the prospect of having to wait so long to talk to Videl. "Let me just send her a quick text – hey!"

The young man lazily raised his arm above his head, keeping the pink mobile out of reach from the shorter girl, who jumped fruitlessly to try and take it back.

"Give it back! Hey! It's mine, give it back, Sharpner!" she demanded, attempting to retrieve her cell phone from its captor, still in vain.

She got on tiptoes and was almost getting there but he simply lifted it up a little higher. Not one to back down from a fight, Erasa placed her hand on his shoulder for leverage, an action that gave her a few inches more. Their height difference really wasn't helping her, however; no matter how close she would get to grabbing what was hers, Sharpner only had to lift it up slightly higher and it was out of reach again. Snickering at her expense, the boy received a dark glare in response which only caused him to grin in amusement.

"Just give me my phone back, Sharpner!" she exclaimed angrily. The volume of her voice attracted some attention to the two, several pairs of eyes turning to them in curiosity.

"Promise not to call _or_ text her?" he said, swaying her phone tauntingly.

"Just give it back!"

"Nope. You gotta promise first."

"What are you, _five_? Give it back already, Sharpner! This is _not_ funny!"

"I think it is actually," he mocked, smirking as Erasa huffed in annoyance. It was an expression so unlike the girl, it could only be amusing to watch.

He felt his own cell phone vibrate in his pocket, along with a brief tone, indicating that he'd just got a new e-mail. Using his other hand to grab it while he still kept Erasa's out of reach, the blond haired teen opened his mailbox to read the new message. His friend made another attempt for her phone, hoping to use the distraction to her advantage; unfortunately for her, he easily moved out of her reach, his hazel eyes focused on the screen.

And then, like it was nothing, he just tossed her the pink device, which she almost didn't catch as she hadn't expected such a turn of event. Looking at him quizzically as he put his phone back in his pocket, the blond haired girl eventually shrugged and proceeded to write a new text.

"She's out fighting crime."

"Huh?"

"Videl," specified Sharpner. "She's out fighting crime right now. That's what the e-mail I got was about, I get an alert whenever Videl's name's mentioned in the media."

Erasa blinked at him, then looked at her screen and let out a deep sigh. _Guess I'll really have to wait…_ she thought resignedly.

She was about to go on her way home but paused as she remembered something she had to do first. Walking up to the blonde boy, she smiled up sweetly at him – and then stomped hard on his foot.

"OUCH! OW OW OWWW!"

Watching him skip on his valid leg while holding his sore foot brought her some satisfaction, and Erasa smiled as she turned around to walk away. However, before she left, she told him over her shoulder, " _Never_ mess with a girl's cell!"

Those were wise words, indeed.

ooOoo

It was one of the first things that attracted him to Videl. Ever since he became the Great Saiyaman and helped fight crime in Satan City alongside her, his eyes always strayed towards the petite, yet incredibly strong, stubborn and courageous girl. He always found her to be the most beautiful when that determined, vibrant fire burned in her eyes whenever she was fighting. That must've been when Gohan began to develop feelings for her; her fighting spirit was definitely what made him start to like her in that way. Although, he wasn't quite sure when it actually started… Well, it didn't really matter now.

As he stood atop a tall building near the bank robbery that was currently taking place, Gohan watched her fight a bunch of bulky, hooded men through the dark visor of his helmet, feeling a mix of fascination and worry. She was handling herself quite well, he had to say; she'd managed to disarm the robbers swiftly and was now giving them a well-deserved beating. There were three of them against her – a fourth was already out cold even prior to his arrival – and even with their advantage of numbers they were hardly a challenge for the experienced crime fighter.

Another was down – and the two who remained didn't look like they would be lasting much longer. Gohan felt a smile tugging at his lips as he watched his beautiful girlfriend charge at the already breathless thugs with even more ferocity and precision, not giving them the opportunity to fight back, or even flee from her wrath.

She was really something, that girl. _My Videl…_

And then he felt it – even before it happened, even before one of the supposedly knocked out men groggily reached for his spare gun, hidden around his ankle. Gohan had already left his perched position on the rooftop and rushed straight at the man, his red cape flapping wildly behind him while he gathered his _ki_ in his left hand and launched the weak blast at the robber's wrist, even before the barely conscious man could grab his weapon.

His howl of pain distracted the fighting pair – for only one last criminal was still standing, albeit barely. Gohan wasn't going to let that man take advantage of the situation, though; he caught him about to attempt a foul hit on Videl so he quickly threw a second _ki_ -blast at his hooded face, stopping the law breaker in his tracks and effectively knocking him out.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as the police force came forth to take care of the rest, handcuffing the unconscious robbers and carrying them to the police cars surrounding the bank. He hadn't intended to step in this time, but Gohan was glad it was over and that no innocent people were harmed. He really needed to tell Videl about Saiyaman as soon as possible; he couldn't risk the safety of bystanders – and hers, for that matter – just for the sake of protecting his secret.

"Good timing, Saiyaman – I really got to run! I'll try and unmask you next time!"

Behind his dark visor, Gohan blinked, his eyes following the girl's trail as she hurriedly climbed into her jet copter and started the engine, the vehicle taking off soon after. He rubbed the back of his neck, a blush quickly forming across his cheeks, partially hidden by his helmet.

Was she in such a hurry… for him? In the two months that he'd been helping her fight crime, this was actually the very first time that Videl didn't try to get information out of him, or jumped for his orange helmet. Was it really because he was supposed to be waiting for her?

"Ah!" he suddenly exclaimed in realization. _I have to hurry, too!_

Just as some news crews were heading towards him, he phased out of sight, much to the astonishment of the reporters and bystanders alike; no matter how many times one was to witness the sight of the superhero suddenly vanishing into thin air, they could never get used to it.

Back in a deserted alley, Gohan quickly made sure that nobody was looking his way and pressed the red button on his watch, putting away his colorful outfit in a flash of light. Not a millisecond later, he broke into a run at full speed and focused on his destination, the streets, cars and buildings becoming a blur while he skillfully dodged anything that happened to cross his path.

In mere moments he was back in front of the ice cream parlor, and let out a sigh of relief since he was obviously much faster than Videl's jet copter. As the adrenaline from the run faded away however, the young man felt a pang of guilt prickle inside his chest. What kind of boyfriend was he? He only got together with Videl a couple hours ago at most, and yet there he was, already sneaking around and preparing to lie to her _again_. How could their relationship ever last if he continually broke her trust like that? This couldn't keep going anymore. He hated himself for lying all the time, and now more than ever this whole lie was sickening him. He had to put a stop to it, once and for all. He had to tell Videl – the faster, the better.

After some time, his senses signaled that she was close by long before the sounds of her quick steps reached his sensitive ears. Gohan turned in the direction of the thumping noises, eager to meet her again yet feeling anxious at the same time. He couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he caught sight of Videl, disheveled, out of breath, and even a bit dirty from the fight with the thugs, yet smiling back at him when their eyes met.

She was simply the most beautiful sight.

"I'm so sorry, Gohan," Videl said, catching her breath as she reached him. "Those bastards weren't even that strong – I can't believe the police couldn't even take care of that robbery themselves! Honestly, they're so hopeless!"

He chuckled quietly, reaching over with his thumb to rub a dirt smudge on her cheek. His touch lingered, and she watched him silently, almost mesmerized by his tenderness…

And then his gaze fell on her lips, and Gohan swallowed – damn, he felt like kissing her, right there, right now. He could hardly refrain himself – he was suddenly aching to taste her rosy, beautiful, and oh so tempting lips. He needed to kiss her, _now_. He wanted to _so_ badly…

The teenage boy quickly turned away before the situation could get out of hand. Videl blinked, her heart pounding hard against her chest. She didn't imagine it just now… The way Gohan was leaning toward her, the look in his eyes… he had been about to kiss her, hadn't he? Yet he abruptly moved away, and this time there was no bell interrupting them. Was he really that shy or…?

"I think we should call it a day, you must be tired after that robbery," Gohan said, avoiding her eyes. "I'll walk you home."

Grabbing her hand, the boy proceeded to do just that, pulling her gently down the street. He still wasn't looking at her, a bright blush coloring his cheeks, and didn't say a word on the way.

Gohan had come to a decision. It was going to be hard – no, it was going to be much, much worse than that – but he had to go through with it. It was best that he restrained himself until he told her the truth about his secret identity… He had to. He would feel like he was taking advantage of the situation otherwise; like he was taking advantage of _her_. He couldn't, wouldn't do this to her; he respected her too much. And he cared about Videl way, way too much. No matter how much it was killing him to hold back, he would never, ever hurt her like that.

He glanced at the girl in question – she looked confused and thoughtful, a cute expression that made Gohan smile. Sighing quietly to himself, he hoped he had enough courage to tell her… Because he really, really, _really_ wanted to kiss her. Like right now.

Crap, he was already regretting his decision…


	6. Expectations

As the imposing mansion came into view, the couple slowed down the pace, not in a rush to arrive at the fancy-looking gates surrounding the estate. Videl glanced at the boy holding her hand and let out a quiet sigh. He hadn't made a single sound since they'd left the shopping district to walk her home. A thoughtful frown etched across his brow while his stare was focused straight ahead — like he was purposely avoiding looking at her.

No, that couldn't be it. Gohan had no reason to do that… did he? No, no, she was just worrying too much; they had just gotten together today, and it was still new to both of them. Besides, with how shy Gohan was, his behavior wasn't that unexpected. He was probably still feeling awkward after that "moment".

For her part, she was still confused about it. She had really thought Gohan was going to kiss her back there, with the way he had stared at her… No, not simply at her — he'd been staring at her lips, intently, and almost… impatiently. And yet he'd pulled back before anything could happen — actually, it was more like he'd _forced_ himself to turn away from her, almost painfully.

Why would he do that?

He was awfully quiet since then, too. She wished she could read his mind, just for right now, just so she could understand what was going on in it this very second.

She wished he'd kissed her back then. She just didn't get why he would pull away at the last moment; could it be that he thought it was too soon? Perhaps he wanted to take things slow, to take his time with her… Ugh, that sounded way too frustrating. It was just a kiss — just how long was he planning to make her wait? They were a couple now, wasn't accepting his feelings enough? He should know that he was allowed to kiss her!

And he should've seen just how much she'd wanted him to do it, back there. There was no way he didn't know that she was craving it, too. He clearly wasn't _that_ clueless.

He shouldn't have pulled away. Why did he pull away?

"Huh… It looks even bigger up close."

Still deep in thought she barely heard his comment and nodded distractedly, accompanied by a lazy "mhmm".

They stopped walking when they reached the tall gates, and a tug at her hand brought Videl out of her musing. She looked back at her smiling boyfriend and blinked.

"Earth to Videl?" he said playfully, gently pulling her closer.

She blushed slightly, and it only made him grin wider. Flutters, butterflies, that grin just did her in. She mock-scowled in response, unwilling to let him see just how much he affected her.

"Aww, don't give me that look," he pouted. "I was hoping you'd stop aiming it at me now." He let out a dramatic sigh.

 _Geek,_ she mentally called him, rolling her eyes. "Well that's too bad now, isn't it?"

"Hmm… nah, it's fine." He unexpectedly pulled her to him, wrapping his free arm around her slim waist while his other hand gave her own a light squeeze. Videl could already feel the blood rush to her face, which was most likely flaming red right about now. How could she not when he was smiling down at her in that perfect, dazzling way. "I like you just the way you are."

Ugh… damn him and his adorableness. Her heart was throbbing, pounding loudly and unrelentingly against her ribcage. _Stop smiling like that_ , she wanted to yell at him, but her voice was currently unavailable, inevitably caught in her throat. How could he have such an effect on her? It was just one smile — one gorgeous, irresistible, and absolutely lovable smile — and she was feeling like a puddle of goo. If he wasn't holding her against him, she wasn't sure she could've supported her own weight by herself… Her knees were faltering, trembling even.

He was making her feel weak, defenseless; as if one word from him, one look, could turn her whole world around. These feelings… they were too strong, stronger than she'd thought, and Videl didn't know what to make of them.

He let go of her hand to brush her cheek lightly, still staring at her adoringly, and then he let out a soft sigh, somehow sounding… disappointed?

Huh.

Next thing she knew, Gohan was hugging her tightly, his arms secured around her waist and keeping her close against him. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in deeply… and placed a soft kiss against her skin. A shiver ran through her spine at his touch, her face getting redder than ever.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said to her ear, taking his time to pull away. Reluctantly.

He grinned when he saw how much she was blushing, chuckled even, though he was quite red in the face himself as well. She glared at him, but he just grinned wider and she ended up smiling back at him despite herself. He just had that effect on her.

As she watched him walk away and then turn around to wave at her from the distance, that stupid grin still glued on his face, Videl found herself waving back, her own, silly smile spreading her lips further as she did. The warm, fuzzy feeling was still swelling in her chest, and it didn't look like it was going to go away anytime soon now.

ooOoo

The maids and butlers ignored the loud snores coming from the living area as they went about their work in the luxurious mansion. Mr. Satan falling asleep in front of the TV was not an unfamiliar occurrence; the rumbling sound echoed across the hallways along with the noisy movie that currently aired. How the man was able to sleep through it all was a mystery; then again it wasn't their job to worry about it.

A sudden explosion sounded, followed by a cry of surprise. It looked like the champ had been woken by a particularly loud scene of the movie. There was a muttered curse and then the channel was abruptly changed.

Sitting up on the leather couch, Hercule wiped the drool dripping down his chin while holding the remote in his other hand; he zapped lazily through the channels, trying to find something interesting among the hundreds and hundreds of them. Nothing seemed to catch his interest, and his thumb mechanically kept on pushing the same button on the remote. He finally stopped at a news channel — they were talking about his daughter.

A proud, sloppy grin lit up his face, watching a replay of how Videl had beaten four thugs at once without much effort.

"That's my little girl!" he boasted to himself, grabbing the forgotten glass of wine swiftly from the side table and taking a sip, cringing slightly at the now warm-ish beverage. His daughter was getting quite strong, he had to say. Who knows, maybe one day she'd surpass him? Nah, that couldn't happen; he was Hercule Satan after all!

He laughed loudly at his thoughts, then took another sip of his wine while he settled into a more comfortable position on his unaffordable couch. Ah, life was good. Wealth, glory, devoted fans, and his Videl making him prouder every day. He couldn't ask for more — he already had it all.

His ears picked up the sound of a humming tune. Turning down the volume of the TV, Hercule listened carefully, easily recognizing his daughter's voice. Curious, the burly man stood and went to the doorway, seeing Videl skipping joyfully along the corridor while humming a happy tune.

Hercule blinked. And blinked. And blinked again.

The teenage girl passed by her father, who was still blinking at her at the doorstep; she stopped for a second and chirped a cheerful, "Hi Daddy!" before going on her way, the skip still present in her steps.

Huh?

Something was definitely off there. Not that Hercule wasn't glad to see his beloved daughter happy, but this… was just too unusual. He had never, ever seen Videl like this, not since she reached puberty at least, and he didn't know why but it was worrying him. Videl didn't hum and she most definitely didn't skip. She wasn't the cheerful type, either; that short-haired, blonde friend of hers was the cheerful one, not Videl. It was just too weird to see his normally tomboyish and scowling daughter this joyful. Perhaps he should go see her…

Tightening his belt, the afro-wearing man walked decidedly towards Videl's bedroom.

ooOoo

She closed the door to her room and leaned back against it, letting out a deep, content sigh. Her dreamy eyes stared ahead with no real aim, and her lips seemed to be stuck in a permanent smile. Her head was spinning with everything that had happened today, and the prospect of making more memories with Gohan elated her further. They may have had a rough start, and it'd definitely gotten frustrating at first, but even though her work with the police force got in the way, every moment spent with him simply felt… perfect. Videl let out another content sigh; she really couldn't wait to have an actual, undisturbed first date with her handsome boyfriend.

It was so uncharacteristic of her, to be so giddy and dreamy about a guy, but it was _Gohan_. He was just the most adorable boy she'd ever met. He also had the kindest and purest heart, and she knew he genuinely liked her. A blush formed across her cheeks as she recalled all the beautiful things he'd told her when he had asked her out the second time. The girl placed her hand against her heart, easily feeling it still beating erratically against her chest.

 _Damn you Gohan, you're making me act like some silly schoolgirl,_ she thought with a slight frown. She sighed softly at the fact, and walked to her desk, pulling the swivel chair and sitting down. Ah, well, she didn't really mind all that much. It was bound to happen someday anyway, right? She leaned back against the comfortable leather, tilting up her chin and staring at the ceiling as she absentmindedly swung back and forth on the swivel chair.

Besides… it was _Gohan_. She didn't want to fight her feelings anymore. She liked him, _really_ liked him, and he was so considerate and gentle with her. And funny and cute — and so easily adorably flustered.

No, she really didn't mind all that much — as long as it was for him.

Steadying the swivel chair, Videl figured she might as well get some homework done — although she doubted she was currently able to concentrate on school work right now. Speaking of which, she'll have to call Erasa later for what she'd missed in the last two periods, the girl reminded herself. Well, there was no reason to delay the call actually. And anyways, Erasa had most likely heard of what happened during lunchtime — as had the whole school, no doubt — and was most definitely dying to know about all the details. Strangely enough, today the raven haired girl really felt like telling all about it to her best friend, and was even looking forward to it.

Just as she was reaching for her cell phone, there was a knock on the door followed by her father's voice:

"Videl? Is everything alright?"

Puzzled by the concern in his tone, Videl got up from the chair and went to open the door. She was met with the sight of her father's somewhat inquiring frown, and she smiled up at him.

"Everything's great, Daddy," she replied in good spirits. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… Uhm…" he babbled in apparent discomfort. "That… bank robbery earlier. I mean, I saw the news. You're not hurt, are you?"

She shrugged. "Nope, hardly got any scratch. They were really no challenge at all."

"Ah, well, I'm glad you're okay," he said, though he still looked somewhat uneasy about something.

"Something's wrong?" she asked out of habit, her smile never wavering. In her current mood, Videl doubted anything would be able to ruin her day.

"Uhm, not really. I'll, uh, get going. The chef's making roast chicken for dinner, by the way."

"Sure, sounds great."

Videl watched him turn around and walk away, distractedly wondering why her father was acting somewhat strangely. Ah, well. If it was something important he would've told her. For now, she had a phone call to make.

ooOoo

He was definitely not used to seeing his daughter like this, and it was certainly making him uneasy. Videl was obviously in an exceptionally good mood today, and while he was happy if she was happy, Hercule also knew his daughter. She wasn't one to let her feelings show and surely not in such exuberance. Something must have happened at school. A good mark perhaps? No, that couldn't be it. Videl had always been fairly good academically but she never really made a big deal out of it. Could it be some good news? Something that happened?

A deep frown creased his brow as an unpleasant possibility made its way to his reflexion. What if she'd met a _boy_? But, no, she hardly paid any attention to her male acquaintances or friends, and she always said that she was too busy for boys, that they were all stupid anyway. Hercule always encouraged her in that regard, even coming up with a clever rule to discourage any potential boyfriends. No boy would willingly fight _him_ , Hercule Satan, the undefeated champion and savior of the world, so the man had thought he didn't need to worry about Videl and boys for some time still. But what if she did meet someone? What if she'd been dating some guy all along? What if she planned to leave the house and elope with that idiot, leaving him all alone?

Hercule shook his head sharply, trying to clear his mind. He was becoming paranoid now. There was no proof that his little girl could be seeing someone; he was just getting himself all worked up for no reason. Okay, she was unusually happy, but that was supposed to be a good thing. He shouldn't be racking his brain like that over it; and besides, it was starting to give him a headache.

He was happy if Videl was happy, and that was it. There was no boy involved, he was just making it all up by himself. No reason he should be worried, right?

Right?

ooOoo

Looping through the sky was an extremely happy teenage boy, and plastered across his face was the widest, silliest of grins. Looping, and whooshing, and swooping, for who knew how long — how could he even care? He was just so _happy_! He was Videl's boyfriend! "Happy" didn't even begin to describe how he felt.

His heart was soaring in joy. Nothing could ruin his mood. His grin widened, if possible; black eyes twinkled excitedly as he recalled the time they'd spent together today. Even if they'd had to cut it short, and even with his secret identity in the way, every minute, every second he spent in Videl's company felt like pure bliss. He couldn't wait to see her again—tomorrow couldn't come fast enough!

Another loop, and then Gohan shot upwards, going higher and higher, above the orange-tinted clouds—

Wait a minute, _orange_? And purple and red. Gohan blinked, sluggishly looking around him. The sun was setting? Just how long had he been flying…?

And then something unheard-of happened: he shrugged, uncaring. He may probably already be in trouble anyway, with him skipping class and all, so, well, a little more or a little less… Bah.

He was just too happy to care right now. Well, he did stop playing around and go straight home from there, but his mood didn't dampen in the least.

 _Overjoyed._ Now _that_ was a more fitting word to describe how he felt.

Although… wasn't there a _stronger_ word?


	7. Falling

Chichi saw it from the moment Gohan walked through the front door.

"I'm home!" he said cheerfully, taking off his shoes.

It was subtle, yet obvious. The air about him felt… different. Lighter. Relaxed. There was a slight tug at the corner of his lips, threatening to break into a broad smile at any moment. His whole demeanor was glowing, beaming with barely contained happiness — the very special kind that was making his eyes twinkle in that particular way.

The same way that Goku used when he would look at her.

"Welcome back," Chichi replied automatically, dumbfounded by the obvious explanation.

Her not-so-little boy — was in love.

"Gohan!" called out Goten, running to his big brother to jump in his arms. "You're home late! Did you beat up some bad guys again?" he asked excitedly, looking up at the older boy in admiration.

Chuckling, Gohan ruffled his wild hair playfully. "I don't beat them up," he corrected good-naturedly. "But yes, I did help fight crime today."

Chichi was silent while her sons walked over to the kitchen, Goten asking questions about his brother's superhero alter-ego's adventures in crime fighting along the way. Still functioning out of instinctive habit, she followed after them and they sat down to dine. She kept quiet, observing her eldest son every now and again, uselessly making sure of his obvious infatuation. She slowly ate the delicious home-made dish, contrasting the boy's rapid eating habit — at least she taught them manners.

 _Taught._ Her mind blocked on that word, slowly working it out of her kind of daze. _Teaching. Teacher_ —

_School._

And then suddenly she snapped out of it and jumped to her feet in a flash, her chair crashing behind her in a loud clanking noise that made the boys jump slightly and stare at her, as she blurted out, "You _cannot_ have a girlfriend!"

While Goten merely looked up from his bowl and continued eating, Gohan froze completely, gaping, wide eyes staring at his mother. His chopsticks hovered halfway to his mouth, the piece of fish formerly stuck in between them dropping on his lap, unnoticed by the two parties.

An eternity must have passed as mother and son stared at each other, one in a display of authority while the other was most obviously completely freaking out. The only sound disrupting the heavy silence was Goten, who simply kept on eating, completely carefree and oblivious to the current tension in the air.

Finally, an odd strangled squeak came out of Gohan's mouth. "Wh- _What_?"

Standing tall in the intimidating manner she'd long mastered, arms crossed over her chest and frowning deeply, Chichi repeated in a calmer, yet somehow scarier voice, "You can't have a girlfriend, Gohan. It'll be in the way of your schoolwork."

 _How can she possibly know?_ The question kept screaming in Gohan's mind over and over again. _How on earth can she know? How did she—?_ _ **How**_ _? And anyway—_

"Why not?" he blurted out, continuing his train of thoughts. His thoughtless, daring move did not seem appreciated in the least, however, as his mother's face got redder and angrier.

"I knew it! I knew it! It's written all over your face! You can't, Gohan, not now — you've just started school for god's sake!"

"It's been two months…" he bravely countered, albeit in a tiny voice.

"And you're _wayyy_ too young for that now!" Chichi ranted on as if he hadn't interrupted. "You're only sixteen, Gohan! I waited until I was eighteen to be with your father!"

"But I spent a whole year in the Room of Spirit and Time, doesn't that make me older…?" he retorted weakly, knowing this argument had little chance to turn the tide to his advantage.

"Oh please. That doesn't count. You just spent a year _training_ , and you didn't even study during that time! The answer is a definite _no_ , Gohan. Absolutely not. You _can't_. No girlfriend. No."

His voice may be quivering slightly and yes, he admitted he was scared of his mom when she was angry like this, but Gohan was not going to give up on Videl for such unreasonable reasons. So what if he was young? He was simply lucky enough to have already found a girl like Videl, whom he wanted to be with and who wanted to be with him. He wasn't going to give up on her, not after all the trouble they went through to finally be together.

And suddenly he felt calm and determined as he kept his stare on his mother. His chair screeched slightly as he stood up to face her, palm down against the wooden table. He looked at her in all seriousness.

"Listen, Mom, I'm not fooling around with girls," he said, his sudden cool-headedness silencing Chichi. "I really, really like her, and somehow she likes me too. I'm quite serious about this relationship, Mom, and I don't want to give it up. I won't give her up."

Goten looked up from his near-finished bowl, blinking at the scene. His brother standing up against their mother was a pretty rare sight to behold, and he inwardly rooted for Gohan to win this argument, whatever it was they were arguing about.

"You have to focus on studying, Gohan," Chichi insisted, although a lot less fiercely.

"I'm acing all my classes! You have nothing to worry about," he countered, inwardly relieved that his mother didn't seem to know that he'd skipped class today.

"It's just the first term. It's going to get harder as the year moves along, you know that."

"It won't interfere with schoolwork. I promise, Mom."

"And if it does?" she continued, straightening her fallen down chair to sit back on it. Gohan sat back down as well.

"It won't," he assured, shrugging slightly. "It's pretty easy, you know."

Goten grinned behind his newly served bowl, glad that it was looking good for Gohan. He never really understood why their mother was always being pushy about Gohan's studies; he was already so smart! Though, the little boy was glad that she wasn't as harsh on him — perhaps it was because, for some reason, Gohan actually _liked_ studying, not that he could understand why. In any case, he was sure his brother would always be the smartest in that school of his. He was by far the coolest, too.

After some silence, some thinking about it and after considering the pros and the cons, Chichi finally let out a sigh and nodded her head, finishing up her dinner.

"Fine," she said. "If you're that serious about it, I won't object." Gohan's lips started tugging at the corners, while Goten's grin got wider, hidden behind his bowl of food and going unnoticed by the two grown-up members of the family. "…BUT," she added, "if I notice the smallest decrease in your grades, you _will_ end this relationship. Are we clear?"

Frowning slightly at the imposed condition, Gohan agreed nonetheless, confident that he could keep high scores throughout the year; his face relaxed into a dreamy smile then, as he thought of all the time he would get to spend with Videl throughout his high school years. It was going to be the best years of his life, he just knew it.

After all, he was with the girl of his dreams.

ooOoo

A lot of heads turned at the unfamiliar scene taking place in the school's hallway. Not only was Videl Satan, the most famous tomboy in the city, hanging out with her _boyfriend_ , but said guy was none other than the nerdiest, and also the smartest of the whole school. Who knew the crime fighter celebrity had a thing for brains? Well, Son Gohan was also one of the cutest faces around, but as far as everyone knew he was no fighter. Most wondered how Mr. Satan would take the news, or if he already knew. It seemed highly unlikely that he would allow his only daughter to date someone like Gohan…

They felt pretty sorry for the boy, actually. Videl may be a hit, but her dad was a scary man.

The couple was by his locker, Videl leaning back against the one next to Gohan's while he took his time dropping off his stuff.

"I'm surprised you're not late this morning," she teased.

"I'm surprised yesterday wasn't a dream," he said back, grinning. He closed the locker door and grabbed her hand, watching her cheeks get redder. He still couldn't believe it, but to be able to just be there with her and hold her hand without any worry, it was pure bliss.

"You're so cheesy," she muttered while they started towards their classroom.

"I'm aware of that, thank you," Gohan replied. He just couldn't get the grin off his face, and it was starting to hurt his cheeks, too.

"Everyone's staring at us…" sighed Videl, glancing about. "Can't they just mind their own business?"

"In their defense, _I_ didn't see it coming, either," he said, that infuriating grin ever so glued on his handsome face. Videl felt her face grow hotter.

"Alright, I get it," she said, rolling her eyes. "You can't believe it, they can't believe it, _no one_ can believe that I like you. Well guess what, I don't care what people think; I just want to be left alone."

Gohan stopped in his tracks all of sudden, causing Videl to stop walking as well. She looked back at him questioningly. He had his eyebrows raised in apparent surprise, his eyes blinking several times.

"What?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand, a tiny smile stretching his lips. "It's just… It's the first time I hear you say it. That you like me."

The girls who were close enough to hear what they were saying were just about ready to melt. How could this boy be so completely adorable? The boys, however, seeing this, were glowering with jealousy.

Videl turned away to hide her flushed face from him and started walking again, tugging at his hand. How, indeed, could Gohan be so adorable without even noticing his effect?

He tightened his fingers around hers, and although she tried to hold it down, Videl's face was blazing with a deeper shade of red. She heard him chuckle and turned around to look at him. He had the goofiest grin ever.

"You are _so_ red," he teased. And she got redder.

"Who's fault is that, huh?" she said back, pretending indignation — well, maybe half-pretending. He suddenly made them stop, looked around them quickly and then pulled her against him, giving her a hug.

"Am I forgiven?" he murmured to her ear.

She just knew everyone was looking at them… and yet, in that moment, it didn't matter as much. Being in Gohan's arms, it was simply the best feeling ever. "… Yes," she mumbled into his chest.

When they finally got to class, they were greeted by Erasa, who was eying them with a smirk.

"I've heard some rumors about you two," she declared with a sing-song voice. "That you were acting all lovey-dovey already, huhuhuhu…"

As they settled in their usual seats on either side of the blond-haired girl, Gohan's face flared up while Videl rolled her eyes.

"Figures," she muttered. "Why can't I get a boyfriend and not have the whole school watching my every move? Too much to ask huh."

"By the way," said Erasa. "Don't you want to switch seats with me Videl? So that you can be next to your husband," she added with a teasing smirk.

"E-E-Erasa!" Gohan whispered hoarsely. "We've only just started dating, _honestly_!"

She rolled her eyes and noted with some satisfaction the redness on Videl's cheeks. Oh, how she'd waited to see this day. To finally be able to talk about boyfriends with Videl — of course, Videl's previous celibacy didn't really stop her before. But still! From now on her best friend was actually going to _join_ in the talks. They'd already chatted for hours yesterday. Erasa couldn't be more excited.

"Besides, I don't think it's such a good idea," said Videl, going back into topic. She shared a look with Gohan, both seeming to think of the same thing while a light, pinkish tint colored their cheeks.

"Yeah," added Gohan, scratching at the hair on the back of his head in uneasiness. "I don't think I'd be able to concentrate much if Videl is sitting right next to me all the time…"

"Besides, we don't need to be together all the time," Videl went on, winking at her boyfriend. "I wouldn't want Gohan to become sick of me too quickly."

"Right. Like that could _ever_ happen," he replied, grinning widely.

"You can't know for sure," she said, keeping up the joke.

"I do," he assured, looking her in the eyes. "Always."

Erasa looked from one to the other, feeling a bit left out. They really _were_ acting all lovey-dovey, and they didn't even seem to remember her presence. She smiled shyly. "Um, you sure you don't want to switch seats with me, Videl?"

ooOoo

"So are you free this Saturday?"

He grinned. Of course she'd be the one to bring it up first. Gohan didn't mind at all. Her straightforwardness was quite convenient, since he was pretty shy himself.

They were having lunch outside on one of the picnic tables, just the two of them. Yes, in the same courtyard where Videl had confessed to him in front of everyone. And yes, a lot of kids were still staring at them in curiosity. Well, let them stare; they'd get used to them being together soon enough.

"Yep," he started saying, but then paused. "Wait, actually I can't Saturday. I'm babysitting my brother and his friend while my mom goes out with her friend. Dang."

"I didn't even know you had a brother," she said, and smiled. "What's he like?"

Gohan grinned just thinking of his adorable lil' bro. "He's turning seven soon. His name's Goten, and to him I'm the coolest brother ever."

"I'm sure you are. I won't believe otherwise," giggled Videl.

His hand found hers under the picnic table and they shared smiles and sweet looks. Then, Gohan moved closer to Videl on the bench they were sitting on, and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head.

She sighed in content. This was pure bliss.

"How about Sunday, then?" she asked softly, so as not to break this perfect moment.

"I'm free on Sunday, yeah," he replied in the same tone, wrapping his other arm around her too, to embrace her better. "What do you want to do?"

"Hmm, I don't know. I don't really care, to be honest. As long as I'm with you…" she added in a barely audible whisper. _Ugh,_ the tomboy in her thought in disapproval, _I can't believe I said that._

He cracked a smile. Who knew Videl Satan could be so sweet? "Then I guess I'll have to come up with something and surprise you."

She hummed in agreement, closing her eyes as she made herself more comfortable, all snuggled up to him and breathing in his scent. It was still so intoxicating, that scent of his. It was manly, attractive, refreshing — it couldn't fit Gohan any better.

She smiled as the obvious dawned on her. It was happening so fast, but there was no doubting it now. She, Videl, was actually falling pretty hard for this guy. She was falling in love, and there was no stopping the process now. She didn't want to stop it, either; she was just so happy. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd felt so… so…

Herself.

That was it. She could be herself with Gohan, and he still wanted to be with her. It was making her happy. She truly wished it would always be like that.

"Hey, Videl?"

"Mhm?"

She could feel him becoming tense all of a sudden. Frowning in concern, she looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

He smiled, a kind of sad smile, and cupped her cheek. "There is something I need to tell you," he said.

She blinked, wondering what could be on his mind. But after a long pause, Gohan still didn't say anything else.

"What's it?" she asked.

"I… I'm…Ugh, I can't do this…" he muttered the last part to himself, seeming upset somehow. What could this be about?

"You can tell me," she said, hoping to be encouraging. "What's it?"

But Gohan could feel a lump constricting his throat. He gazed at her beautiful eyes. Her trusting, encouraging eyes. Would they reflect betrayal once he told her? Would they show disgust, hate, distrust? He wanted to say it; he _had_ to finally tell her he was Saiyaman. He'd thought this was the moment, that he was ready to say it to her.

But the words just wouldn't come out.

He swallowed. Looked away. Cursed himself under his breath. Made her worry. He looked at her again, tried to say it again. Stutters were all he could manage.

 _Dammit, dammit!_ he thought angrily at himself. _Why can't I say it?_

"It's okay," she said soothingly, stroking his cheek with an understanding smile. "Whatever it is, take your time telling me."

He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, his arms wrapped around her possessively as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I'm so lucky to have you," he whispered, a hint of distress in his voice.

As she returned the hug, Videl couldn't help wondering, confused by his actions. What did he try to tell her? What could it possibly be? And why was it getting him this worked up?

Well, whatever it was, Videl promised herself to be as open-minded as possible about it when Gohan did tell her. She didn't want him to be upset; she wanted him to smile at her again — to smile at her all the time.

She was the lucky one, really. He was making her truly happy. And she hoped, with all of her heart, that she was returning the favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the chapter's title, I wonder if you can see what I mean by "Falling". :)


	8. Cornered

That day, after class, a group of unhappy jocks from various sport clubs approached Gohan at his locker. The hallways were pretty much vacant of students by then, most of them having already left – which was precisely why the group had decided to act now in particular.

When Gohan closed his locker door, he wasn't startled by the sudden appearance of six… no, seven bulky guys; he'd long noticed them coming towards him. He did hope that they would continue past him and go on their way, but unluckily, it seemed that he was their destination. The tall boy quietly sighed to himself in resignation.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked politely, hoping to get out of whatever they wanted from him in a civil way.

"Come with us," one of them said gruffly, starting towards the staircase. He seemed to be the leader of some sort, because the other jocks stayed behind to make sure Gohan was following.

"Ah, well," he mumbled to himself. _Guess I'm forced to teach them a lesson_ , Gohan thought tiredly. _At least we're going somewhere out of sight._

They brought him to the rooftop. Well, he would be able to take off right after he was done with these guys, that wasn't so bad. Of course, he'd rather avoid this situation altogether…

"I'm guessing you didn't bring me up here for some chit-chat," he said, while they were cracking their knuckles.

"How could some _wimp_ like you win over Videl? _Our_ Videl?" the leader spat with contempt, sending him a dark look.

Gohan frowned. He wasn't sure whether Videl even knew these guys. What gave them the right to talk about her like they owned her? His fingers curled into fists, resisting the urge to attack them first.

"Videl's my girlfriend," he declared, with more confidence than they seemed to expect. It made them pause and share evil looks with each other, as if they were telepathically plotting the way they were going to crack his bones.

Well, they could always try. And fail, obviously.

"Don't fool yourself," jeered another bulky guy, smirking at him in superiority. "Videl's gonna get tired of you real quick, and her dad's gonna kick your sorry ass even quicker."

"We're just taking a head start," the leader finished, bumping his fist into his hand for emphasis.

Gohan stared at them blankly. Really? Was that really all they could come up with? For a threatening speech, he had to say it was pretty bad. Heck, even the criminals he usually took care of were better at this – and they weren't all that good, either.

"Any last prayer?" said one of them, preparing a punch. From his stance, Gohan could guess he was part of the boxing club.

He almost rolled his eyes when the guy grabbed him by the collar. The half-Saiyan decided to humor them; let them believe they could hurt him, if only for a brief moment. Besides, he might as well let them hurt themselves trying to hit him.

"HOLD IT!"

Everyone paused at the sudden voice; the boxer's fist was halfway to Gohan's face. The boy in question blinked, and blinked again, as the last person he would've expected roughly pushed the jock off of him.

"I can't believe you guys would gang up on him like that!" he said, looking quite pissed off.

"Stay out of this, Sharpner," growled the leader, scowling darkly at the long-haired teen.

"Try and make me, Iron," he shot back, standing in front of Gohan in a protective way.

… _Wow._ Gohan was having trouble believing the scene he was witnessing. Of all people, _Sharpner_ had come to his rescue? The same Sharpner who only called him with nicknames such as Brains, Bookworm, Mountain Boy, and so on? Sure, Gohan didn't mind; he knew they weren't meant to be hurtful. And Sharpner was actually a good friend, yeah, but he just… He didn't expect this turn of events at all.

"You're gonna regret this, Sharpner," the boxer's voice boomed.

"Please," he scoffed in response, "Don't make me laugh, Rock. I can take all of you at once, and you guys know it. Need I remind you who's number one in the boxing club?"

They glowered at him menacingly, but they seemed to be aware that Sharpner was right, and finally decided to walk away.

"We're not finished with you!" another guy called out uselessly as they were leaving. "Gohan, and you too Sharpner – you guys are dead meat!"

"As if," called back Sharpner, rolling his eyes. "You'd better stay out of my sight, or I might talk about you all to Videl. And she's not gonna let you off easy like me."

Gohan was still blinking, watching the group scowl at them as they walked through the door to the staircase. Slowly but surely, it registered in his mind that Sharpner had saved him – well, saved him the trouble to dirty his hands, that is.

"Well, that was close," said the blond-haired boy, patting Gohan's shoulder. "You know, when guys come at you like that, you don't follow them. You run. Remember that for next time."

A grin quickly formed on Gohan's lips. "Thanks, Sharpner. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it, Brains," he said, waving him off. Somehow, the nickname made Gohan grin wider. "Videl wouldn't be happy if something happened to her precious boyfriend."

Gohan frowned guiltily, as something he hadn't thought of until now occurred to him. "You… you like her too… And I didn't even…"

"Meh, it's fine," said Sharpner in a bored tone, waving him off. "For whatever reason I can't comprehend, Videl chose you. She likes brains over brawn, go figures. I didn't stand much of a chance, did I?"

"Still, I'm sorry I—"

"I said it was fine, didn't I?" Sharpner cut him off. "We're good."

The spiky-haired teen let out a long sigh. He still felt guilty. To think he didn't even consider Sharpner's feelings when he asked Videl out, that the thought didn't even cross his mind, even though his friend had liked Videl for even longer than Gohan knew her… He felt awful.

"Stop making that face, or _I_ 'll punch you," Sharpner joked, bumping into his shoulder in a friendly manner. Gohan managed a smile. "Right. Now let's head out of here. I don't wanna stay in this place for longer than I have to."

"I'm still sorry though," mumbled Gohan, following him through the door. Well, so much for leaving from the roof. He'd have to find a secluded place to take off from once they were out of the school building, he figured.

Sharpner only rolled his eyes in response.

ooOoo

When Videl told Erasa that Gohan and her planned to go on a date next Sunday over the phone, she winced at the loud squeal and put the receiver away from her ringing ear. When she thought it was safe, Videl cautiously put it back. But then she blinked, surprised to hear the constant dial tone. Erasa had hung up? Had she been that excited that she accidentally hung up her phone?

Videl shrugged, figuring that Erasa would be calling her back any moment. However, minutes ticked by and her blonde friend still hadn't called back. Videl was getting slightly worried. Why wasn't Erasa calling her back? Was something holding her back? Or did she faint or something from the excitement? As ridiculous as it sounded, it wouldn't surprise her if that actually happened. Erasa did tend to overreact. A lot.

And she would be proving that point again in a moment.

The doorbell went off soon after, and Videl paused. Could it be…? Nah, it couldn't be Erasa, could it? Sure, the time it would take to come over from Erasa's place fitted, and yes, it wouldn't be that surprising after all but still. Would Erasa actually rush to see her just because Videl told her she would be going on a date this weekend?

Well, she got her answer quite soon. There was a knock on her bedroom door, and Videl couldn't help cracking a smile as she got up and went to open it.

She shouldn't be surprised. Erasa really did overreact.

She was sporting a cheerful grin as Videl let her inside. However, Erasa went straight to her closet and pushed the sliding doors wide open. Videl stood there, staring blankly at the back of Erasa's blond head. She seemed to be browsing through her clothes, looking deep in thought. Videl sighed.

"Erasa, I appreciate the thought, but I can choose my own outfit for the date," she said, walking over to her friend.

"I'm sorry Vi but I really doubt that," said Erasa, looking at her. "I mean, look at those dull outfits. You obviously need my fashion sense to turn these… ugh, why do you only have the same type of clothes? Don't you get bored wearing the same stuff over and over?"

Videl frowned, blushing slightly. "Well, I could be called off to fight crime at any moment. I can't afford to wear something that wouldn't be fit for fighting," she said, defending her wardrobe.

"That's where you're all wrong, Videl," said Erasa, turning back to the closet and browsing through the layers of perfectly put away clothing.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you don't have to look dull if you want to wear something comfortable. Ah, this might do," she added, pulling out a baggy, long sleeved dress shirt and a black belt.

Videl watched her hold the items doubtfully, and crossed her arms. "Even if I look dull, it doesn't seem to bother Gohan. He says he likes me the way I am. I don't need to change how I look to make him like me, and I don't plan to either."

"Well, of course he wouldn't see it. Gohan needs fashion lessons as much as you, maybe even more," said Erasa, throwing the shirt and the belt on the bed and turning back inside the closet. "And I never said you needed it to make him like you; he's obviously already all over you." Videl blushed while Erasa send her a smirk. "You need to look your best when you're with him to make him gape at you. Just picture his blushing face when he sees you all prettied up! Ah, I wish I could see it, too."

Videl looked down and bit her lower lip, a pinkish tint spreading across her cheeks. "I don't know Erasa…"

"What, would you rather go shopping with me and find you new outfits? 'Cause you know I'd love that," smirked Erasa, glancing her way. "Be happy I'm only looking at your own stuff. You know I could make you go with me."

Videl rolled her eyes, even though she knew, indeed, that Erasa would certainly be able to have it her way if she so decided. "Fine, do what you want."

Erasa grinned. "You won't regret it! Gohan's gonna be drooling at you the moment he sees you," she giggled, making Videl blush again.

Well, if the end result would allow her to tease Gohan some more, Videl figured it wasn't too bad. Besides, it was always better than being dragged to the mall and to every clothing stores for hours on end. She'd been there, done that, and wasn't planning to do it again anytime soon. Or ever, if she could help it.

ooOoo

Somehow he'd misunderstood. Gohan had thought that while his mom and Bulma would be going out together, he would be staying home babysitting Goten and Trunks.

But then, why had he been dragged to the mall and was carrying so many shopping bags? Goten and Trunks each had a handful of them, too, both looking quite dejected as they followed after their mothers.

Gohan was still confused as to how he could have misunderstood. Had they said he would have to come with them or did they change their mind afterwards? More importantly, was he really needed to watch over the boys when Bulma and Chichi could very well keep an eye on them themselves? Not only did he very much dislike being dragging from store to store while carrying tons of bags, but if he'd known this was how he would be spending his Saturday, Gohan could have not come with his mom and Bulma, and instead he could've been on a date with Videl.

He could have been with Videl right now. They could've had their first date instead – well, their second try at it anyway. They could've been spending the whole day together, they could've had a wonderful time together. Yes, they made plans for tomorrow, and yes, he was just being childish now. But he hated shopping! There was no question what Gohan would rather do today. Besides, if he could have it his way, Gohan would spend all of his time with Videl.

The tall boy let out a dejected sigh, wishing he was with his girlfriend right now, instead of this hellish place called mall.

"Hey, Trunks," piped up Goten's voice. "Guess what? Gohan won an argument against Mom the other day."

This made Trunks pause. In fact, even Bulma and Chichi paused; the blue haired woman shot her dark haired friend a surprising look, seeking confirmation, and Chichi nodded with a shrug of her shoulders, as if to say, 'it happens'. Gohan frowned slightly. Was it that hard to believe that he stood up to his mother? It wouldn't be the first time he did, either. Yes, sure, it was a pretty seldom occurrence, but still!

"Really?" said Trunks, visibly doubtful.

"Yeah!" confirmed Goten excitedly. "She was telling him he couldn't have a girlflend but he convinced her he would still have good grades. Cool, huh?"

Trunks, Bulma and Chichi stared blankly at the proud-looking little boy, while Gohan was tempted to hide his face behind his hands in embarrassment. The shopping bags he was carrying were kind of in his way, though.

"It's 'girlfriend', Goten, not 'girlflend'," corrected Chichi.

"Oh, right!" said Goten, scratching the hair at the back of his head sheepishly. Then he tilted his head slightly. "What's a girlfriend anyway?"

"Wait, so Gohan has a girlfriend?" Bulma asked in disbelief. "For real?"

"But what's a girlfriend?" asked Goten once again. Trunks sighed, shaking his head at his best friend's cluelessness.

"Who's she? What's she like?" asked Bulma, turning curious eyes to the older boy, who wished the ground could swallow him. Right now would be good.

"But what's a girlfriend?" repeated Goten, frowning impatiently as no one seemed interested in explaining to him.

"What's her name?" Bulma went on, taking a few steps to Gohan.

"Now that I think about it, you didn't tell me anything about her, Gohan," added Chichi.

Goten sighed heavily, and Trunks patted his shoulder in comfort – he'd had to drop the numerous bags he'd been carrying to do so, and didn't seem to regret it at all.

"Don't worry Goten, you won't need to know that for a while," he said. "Girlfriends are gross anyways. They have cooties, too."

Goten made a disgusted face and shuddered. He didn't seem to mind not knowing what a girlfriend was anymore, thanks to Trunks.

Meanwhile, Chichi and Bulma were still asking Gohan all sorts of questions about his mysterious girlfriend, and he was slowly backing away, trying to think of a way to get out of this mess. He had no wish to talk to them about Videl; they'd just use the info to tease him about her. They always ended up teasing him, all the time. It seemed to be everyone's favorite hobby.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer, Gohan?" said Chichi impatiently. "What's she like? Does she have good grades?"

"Yeah, she does, actually," he finally answered, since the question seemed harmless. "She's pretty smart."

"Oh, that's good!" exclaimed Chichi happily, clapping her hands.

"Is she pretty?" countered Bulma; Gohan blushed, rubbing the back of his neck, and nodded his head.

"Y-Yeah," he said, staring intently at his shoes.

"What's her name?" she asked again, and Gohan sighed. Was he really going to have to answer all of their questions?

He decided to attempt something first, praying that it would be enough as a distraction.

"Oh, look, that store over there's on sale!" he exclaimed nervously, pointing his finger at a random direction.

Somehow, his distraction worked and both women turned in the direction he was pointing to. Gohan used the momentum to flee, not unlike the many times he'd escaped Videl as Saiyaman.

He sighed in relief, hiding in a corner, and smiled sheepishly as he watched Bulma and his mother turn their heads from side to side, obviously looking for him. His mother didn't look too happy, and Gohan cringed slightly, knowing he couldn't stay in hiding all the time. He would have to go join them eventually, unfortunately, and when that happened Gohan dreaded the earful he was sure to get. Well, hopefully they would forget to ask about Videl by the time he got back… In the meantime, he might as well find a nice spot to take a rest.

He was still carrying the many, many shopping bags around his forearms as he strolled about lazily. It wasn't like they were heavy – hardly anything felt heavy for him, really – but it was quite troublesome not to be able to move his arms much.

The teen stopped to look at a men's store front, watching the clothes displayed. Jeans, untucked shirts, torn jeans, hiphuggers, t-shirts, hooded sweats… Every single clothing item he saw told him the way he dressed was totally outdated. Should he find something nice for his date with Videl tomorrow? Sure, Videl wasn't really one to pay attention to fashion, but it'd be nice to look good for her.

With that thought in mind Gohan walked into the store.

"Hello, how may I hel – oh! Gohan, it's you!"

The clerk behind the counter was none other than Erasa, wearing a t-shirt with the logo of the store. She rushed to his side with a big grin across her face.

"Hi!" she greeted cheerfully, making Gohan chuckle a little nervously.

"Hi, Erasa. I didn't know you had a job here," he said, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, meeting her here. Surely she must have figured why he'd walked into this particular store, hadn't she?

"Oh, you know, the pay's nice. And I get to meet good looking guys every now and then," she added with a wink.

Gohan blushed slightly, but the bag he was carrying prevented him from scratching the itch at the back of his head. Erasa seemed to notice his issue.

"Hey, let me help you with that," she said, motioning to the bags around his wrists. "You can leave them behind the counter while you look around the store, how about that?"

His face lit up. "Thanks, Erasa! Those things are really troublesome."

He followed after her and dropped the bags behind the counter. "They look heavy, too," she commented.

"Ah, um, I guess?" he replied uneasily. He cleared his throat. "So, can you help me find clothes? You know, Videl and I are going on a date tomorrow and I'd like to look nice for her…"

The biggest grin he'd ever seen lit up Erasa's face, and she clapped her hands happily. "That's the spirit, Gohan! I wish Videl were as thoughtful as you; she'd never go shopping with me willingly, can you believe that? Anyways, let's get to work!"

An hour later, Gohan was starting to regret asking for Erasa's help. He could really see why Videl wouldn't want to go shopping with her; the girl was a real tornado! She'd thrown at him more clothes to try on than he ever owned, and she didn't look even close to be done with him. How much longer will he have to go through this? OK, yes, he had to admit that Erasa had an unmistakably good fashion sense and that most of what she gave him to try on looked quite nice on him. But this was a nightmare. The pile of clothes she was recommending only kept getting higher, and he was tired and hungry. He also needed to hurry and go back to join his family, Bulma and Trunks soon, or he was really going to get it. The more he put it off, the louder Chichi's yelling would get, and he valued his hearing a lot thank you very much. He needed to get out of this place, and fast.

Erasa threw another outfit over the changing room's door, and Gohan sighed. Was he ever going to go out of this small, box-like room? The way things looked, luck wasn't on his side today.

He sighed heavily, obediently pulling the pair of jeans and the white t-shirt and trying them on. He then opened the door and walked out to show himself to Erasa, who smirked approvingly.

"Are we done yet, Erasa? I kinda need to join my family, you know…" he said tiredly.

"You look awesome, Gohan," she said cheerfully, apparently not hearing what he'd said. She walked closer to him and watched his toned arms with an odd glint in her gaze. "You should wear this for your date tomorrow. Videl's gonna be drooling at your muscles."

He blushed. "Isn't the shirt a little too tight though?"

"No, it's perfect," she replied, grinning widely. "You look really hot like that."

His face burned up, and Gohan looked shyly at the sneakers he was wearing. "So are we done now?"

"I think we are," Erasa chirped. She looked quite proud of herself. "You taking the other outfits I approved, right? Let's take everything to the cash register."

Sometime later, Gohan was back in his own clothes and carrying even more shopping bags around his forearms. He had no trouble locating where the others were, Goten and Trunks' _ki_ being quite easy to single out, but he took his time strolling over to them.

He cracked a smile then, pretty glad, in the end, to have found himself some nice outfits for future dates with Videl. It may have been a painful and tiring process, but Videl was worth all of it and more. He seriously couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Humming to himself, he joined his mother, Bulma and the boys shortly after. But even as Chichi screeched at him very, very loudly, Gohan was having trouble looking serious and apologetic, as the corners of his lips kept twitching upwards, itching for a smile.

He wished time could go faster so that he could already be meeting up with Videl for their date. Man, he really had it bad for that girl, huh?


	9. Sunday

The weather was somewhat cloudy, but hopefully it wasn't going to worsen during the day. Videl didn't know what Gohan had planned for their date today, whether they would be indoor or outdoor, but either way she hoped it wasn't going to rain. Though it was supposed to be romantic or whatever, to be caught in the rain with the person you liked, Videl would rather stay dry thank you very much.

She glanced at her watch. There was still some time to spare before she was to meet up with him at the train station, since having Gohan come pick her up was a definite no-no. Her father still didn't know she had a boyfriend, let alone a date today, and the media hadn't gotten the info yet, thankfully. Videl fully intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.

She arranged her hair, looking at her reflection in the mirror; Erasa had insisted that she let it down for today. The bubbly blonde had also chosen the outfit she was now wearing, and Videl had to admit, Erasa had indeed managed to make it look nice while still staying practical and comfortable. She was wearing a baggy, white dress shirt, tightened around the waist with a black belt, and with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows; it fell down to her hips, and the first few buttons were left undone, showing the slightest bit of cleavage. With black leggings and her usual fighting boots, this look wasn't really all that different from what the tomboy usually wore, and yet, just adding the belt made quite a difference.

Videl had refused to wear any makeup, however, and Erasa hadn't insisted much, admitting that she didn't actually needed it, but adding that it would've brought out her natural beauty.

She felt butterflies in her stomach as she pictured Gohan's expression when he saw her. He'd most likely blush and get flustered, and the thought made Videl grin. Glancing at her watch again, Videl figured that she might as well get going. She would probably get to their meeting spot a little early, and although Gohan wasn't very famous for his punctuality, she didn't want to sit around waiting any longer. She grabbed the small purse Erasa insisted she borrowed from her and headed out of her bedroom, along the hallway, walked past many doors, and finally reached the front entrance.

She'd told a maid to inform her father that she would be out today. Hopefully he wouldn't get suspicious, but knowing her dad, Videl didn't worry much. His cluelessness was pretty convenient at times like these.

Videl walked outside, looked up at the cloudy sky and frowned slightly in worry. _No rain today, alright?_ She silently requested.

Soon, she had climbed in her jet copter and was off. She felt nervous, her hands were sweaty on the handle. She was going to spend the whole day with Gohan. It made her happy, but at the same time she worried about stupid little things, like, what if he got tired of her? What if they ran out of things to say? What if he got bored?

She had fought her insecurities so that she could be Gohan's girlfriend, but they were still there, creeping into her head, filling it with worry and dread. They haunted her, teased her, mocked her. They wouldn't leave her alone, no matter how happy she was to be with Gohan. They would taint her glee with unnecessary concerns, making her imagine the worst.

Would they ever leave?

Shaking her head in hopes to clear her mind, Videl focused on piloting her jet copter, her eyes squinting in concentration. She was just being silly anyway. Gohan was the sweetest, most wonderful boyfriend any girl could hope for; there was no reason to worry, really. Stupid insecurities.

Soon enough, she reached her destination and landed. Her vehicle safely put away in its capsule, Videl then proceeded to walk the short distance to the main entrance of the train station.

As she began to make out a tall, familiar figure standing there, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Wow, Gohan had actually arrived early. A grin rapidly curled her lips and her pace quickened, the fluttering sensation in her stomach intensifying in anticipation and eagerness.

He turned his head towards her at the sound of her fast steps, and sure enough a wide, gentle smile spread out his lips as they eyes locked. He meet her halfway, and his hand immediately sought her smaller one, intertwining their fingers.

"Hey," he said softly, his onyx eyes beaming down at her.

"Hey," she said back, and her grin seemed to get wider.

He tucked dark tendrils behind her ear with his other hand. "You look beautiful."

Heat rushed to her face in record time, and Videl couldn't help looking sideways in embarrassment. Wasn't she supposed to be the one making him blush, not the other way around?

Glancing back at him, she then caught sight of what he was wearing, and her face burned up some more. _Wow,_ she thought, speechless, as she stared at him. Gohan was wearing a rather tight, white t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. Her suspicions of his physique turned out to be correct: Gohan was indeed quite muscular. He was lean, yet every inch of him seemed to be perfectly toned and rock-hard. His shoulders, his chest were even broader than she'd thought, and his arms… Videl swallowed, but the lump in her throat didn't go down.

Boy. Oh boy. Gohan looked _hot_.

She swallowed again, unable not to stare. She'd never felt this attracted to anyone before. Her hand seemed to move on its own, touching his forearm tentatively. It felt like electricity was coursing between them.

"Um… Videl?"

His hesitant voice made her look up. She met his troubled gaze. Her breath was becoming heavier, her heart was pounding madly; her face was most definitely resembling a tomato, too. Videl bit down her lip, refraining herself from doing anything too rash as she stared impatiently at his mouth.

He pulled back from her slightly, letting go of her hand and looking away in apparent embarrassment, if his flaming cheeks were any indication. He would most likely burst if he knew what, exactly, was going through her head.

"So, um…" he stammered, rubbing his tense neck. "Shall we go?"

She blinked, slowly coming to her senses. Shaking her head, Videl willed herself to focus on his handsome face, although her gaze shifted to his arms or torso every so often.

"Where to?" she asked.

He gave a mysterious smile and took her hand again, leading the way. "You like animals, right?"

She raised a skeptical eyebrow, walking with him along the street. "Uh, I guess?"

Gohan grinned at her. "I love animals. I used to play with a friendly dragon as a kid. He's got his own family now, though, so I haven't seen him in a while."

Videl blinked. "A… A dragon?"

"Yep. He was really kind and would take me flying on his back."

She blinked some more, and then cracked a smile. "Lucky you. Who wouldn't want a pet dragon?"

"Hehe, yeah," he grinned.

"So… Where are you taking me?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I'm glad you like animals," he said, his eyes twinkling in amusement, "because we're going to the zoo."

Videl raised her eyebrows, blinking some more at the taller boy, who simply kept grinning at her. That was quite an original place to go to on a date, as far as she knew. She hadn't been to the zoo in years for that matter. The last time was actually before her father became the World Champion and then the savior of the world, now that she thought about it.

She grinned back at Gohan, giving his hand a light squeeze. "Sounds good."

ooOoo

The wide, happy grin wouldn't leave his face, as Gohan watched Videl marveling at cute little foxes in their habitat. She looked so cute, cooing at the sleeping baby fox, obviously wishing she could go past the barrier and cuddle with it. It made him want to cuddle with her.

"If you keep looking at them like that I'm going to get jealous, you know," he joked, moving closer to his girlfriend.

"But look at this one, he's sooo cute and adorable. I want one like that," she said, not taking her eyes off the sleeping fox.

Gohan chuckled. He pulled her hand towards him then wrapped his arms around her, making her look up at him. Bright, lovely blue eyes stared back at him in amusement, and Gohan grinned.

"Feeling left out?" she teased.

"I was, as a matter of fact," he replied, playing along.

She giggled. "Don't worry, you're pretty cute and adorable, too."

His face flared up instantly, but the grin didn't leave his face. "I could tell you the same thing," he said, cupping her cheek.

She blushed brightly, and her lips parted slightly as his thumb stroked her cheek. His eyes moved down to stare at them, and Gohan felt his throat tighten. Uh-oh, this was getting dangerous. His urge to kiss her was hitting him full force, and Gohan wasn't sure he wanted to pull away this time.

Would it be so bad if he brushed her rosy, tempting lips, just a little? Gohan swallowed, cupping her face with both of his hands, his breathing becoming heavier, and his face feeling hotter. He didn't want to hold back anymore… But he'd promised himself to tell her about Saiyaman first. She had to know that it was him before they were to kiss. He couldn't take advantage of the situation like that when Videl didn't quite know who she was really dealing with. She had to know.

But… But… Her lips were so close, her short breathing so inviting, and she was visibly craving it as much as he did. Would it really be that bad if he dipped down and finally tasted her?

The lump caught in his throat swelled, making it hard to breathe. He wanted her too much. Besides… it was just a kiss. People kissed all the time; it wasn't that big of a deal, was it? He fully intended to tell her sooner than later anyway, so whether he kissed Videl now or later didn't matter that much, did it?

Her eyelids slid shut and she breathed out his name. Gohan couldn't stop anymore. He needed to kiss her, and he couldn't wait any longer. He didn't want to, either.

The tension kept building up between them as the tall boy slowly moved closer, tipping her head back a little with his hands. Her mouth was so close now, her breath was tickling his cheeks… Her hands moved to his chest, her touch, despite the fabric of his t-shirt, sending shivers along his back.

He was going to do it. He was going to kiss Videl, and he was going to do it now.

The tune of a trumpet melody suddenly sounded from the loudspeakers scattered around the zoo, and a comically formal voice announced that the dolphins' show would begin in a thirty minutes.

The moment was effectively broken, and both flustered teens found themselves wide apart and avoiding eye contact.

Gohan scratched the hair at the back of his head, distractedly looking up at the cloudy sky. Damn, that had been too close. Way too close. He really would have kissed her if it hadn't been for the interruption. Gohan knew that he had just been giving himself excuses to do it, and despite how he craved to kiss Videl, it wouldn't be right, not as long as she didn't know about his superhero persona.

Glancing at her, he swallowed hard. He really needed to hurry up and tell her, because if nothing interrupted them next time, and surely there would be a next time, he wouldn't be able to stop himself then. Perhaps he should tell her today?

But… What if it went wrong? The mere thought of it clenched his heart painfully. He didn't want to ruin their first date. And he could always tell her tomorrow at school, right? He might be making excuses again, but if things really were to go wrong when he told her, Gohan wanted to at least have one nice date with Videl. It wasn't too much to ask, was it?

"Hey um… How about we go see that dolphins' show?" he suggested, hoping to dissolve the awkwardness.

Videl nodded her head, still not looking at him, and Gohan hesitated the slightest bit before he gently grabbed her hand into his. She looked up at him then and smiled sheepishly. Gohan felt his heart melt completely. She looked so adorable and beautiful… He wished he'd already told her he was Saiyaman so that he could bend down and kiss her lips.

Letting out a resigned sigh, he cracked a smile at Videl and gave her hand a squeeze. They took their time going to the see the dolphins, looking around at the various animals on their way.

"Look, Gohan, it's a tiger! So cool," exclaimed Videl excitedly, pointing at the wild animal.

"There's some saber-toothed ones around my house," Gohan commented, grinning as Videl's eyes lit up.

"Isn't that kinda dangerous, though?" she then said, tilting her head to the side. So cute.

"Nah. They're not _that_ close to the village," he said, chuckling.

The awkwardness between them seemed to have lifted, which Gohan was glad for. He really needed to control himself better, though. Or at least, he needed to tell her about him as soon as possible, so that he wouldn't have to hold back anymore. He honestly didn't know which one would be easiest to do.

 _Tomorrow,_ he promised himself. _I'll definitely tell her tomorrow._

ooOoo

The sun was setting, the sky was darkening, and the zoo was closing its doors to the public. Heavy, thick clouds made the sky look even darker, hiding it completely. It could start raining any moment from the look of it, and people seemed keen to get on their way.

Gohan and Videl, however, were oblivious to it all as they followed the crowd towards the exit, hand in hand, sharing smiles and content looks.

The dolphins' show had been pretty awesome, though Gohan didn't see much of it, as he'd been mostly watching Videl's reactions throughout the performance. He had no regret, however, and had very much enjoyed himself.

They had later had lunch in one of the many food stands, and then resumed their tour around the zoo. Videl seemed to have particularly liked the snakes, lions, bears and eagles. They'd also gone back to see the tigers, which were her favorite.

"You really like predators, huh," he'd said in amusement.

"Well, they're way cooler than their prey," had replied Videl, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I like strong animals, not sissy ones."

He'd burst out laughing at that, and soon enough she joined him.

They really had a fun day together, and Gohan was glad Videl had liked the zoo. He didn't feel like going home just yet though.

"What should we do next?" asked Videl, seeming to feel the same way.

"How about dinner?" he suggested.

"What, you're still hungry after that enormous lunch earlier?" she teased, quirking an eyebrow at him. He blushed slightly.

"That was hours ago, so yes, I am pretty hungry," he said. "I'm still growing, you know. I need my food."

She grinned at him, their joined hands rocking back and forth as they walked side by side. "Then this time it's my treat. You've paid for everything today; I want to do something for you, too."

"Deal," he said, chuckling. "But don't make a habit out of it, I like treating you. Besides, it's my duty as a man to treat you to everything."

"Maybe in the last century," she countered, rolling her eyes, though her grin was getting wider.

"There's no winning against you, is there?" he said, chuckling softly.

"Nope. You better get used it, 'cause girls always win," she stated matter-of-factly, smirking at him.

He pulled her hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. "I'm fine with that," he said softly. "I've already won you over. Can't ask for more."

Her face turned bright red, and Gohan chuckled, kissing her nose playfully. He pulled back then – lest he lost control again – and tugged at her hand as they resumed walking through the city streets.

"Where shall we go, then?" he asked, though Videl seemed a little too flustered to answer just yet. He blushed and grinned at the same time. Gosh, she was just so cute.

"Um… How about over there?" she suggested, pointing at the first restaurant she spotted.

"Sure," he said. "Let's go then."

Dating was so much fun.

ooOoo

Videl really had to wonder where the gigantic amount of food Gohan would eat on every meal disappeared to. It obviously didn't become fat, seeing as Gohan seemed to be only made of perfectly sculpted muscles. Her eyes lingered on his toned arms for a bit, smiling appreciatively at the sight.

But seriously, how fast could his metabolism be?

He was eating rather cleanly, only slightly faster than most. But there was a pile of empty plates on his side of the table, becoming steadily higher as he finished serving after serving. It was like he had a black hole for a stomach.

"You really were hungry, huh," she said, chuckling slightly. Gohan grinned sheepishly in response. "It's a wonder you don't get fat. Do you work out a lot to burn it all off?"

"Well," he started thoughtfully. "I guess I should've told you sooner. I actually do martial arts."

She paused to stare at him, the information catching her completely off guard. She definitely did not expect this answer. So, martial arts was how he'd gotten so fit, huh.

"Are you good?" was the first thing she asked.

His smile looked somewhat ironic. "You could say that. I started pretty early, though I don't train nearly as much as I used to when I was a kid."

"Why not?" she inquired curiously.

A loud _craaa—ck_ suddenly boomed from outside, closely followed by a flash of lightning. The pair, who was seated not far from the window front, turned to look at the heavy rain that had been threatening to fall on them all day. They both blinked, then turned to each other with knowing smiles, seeming to be thinking of the same thing.

"That's some timing, huh?" said Gohan, letting out an amused chuckle.

"Tell me about it," she said, grinning at him. "It's like the rain waited until we were safely indoors to start pouring."

"I brought an umbrella anyway," he said.

Videl leaned forward and held her chin in her hand. "Well aren't you the thoughtful one."

He blushed slightly, a somewhat awkward smile on his lips. "I just didn't want to let anything ruin our date," he said softly.

Her other hand reached over to hold his own, and Videl smiled at her adorable boyfriend. She was really one lucky girl, wasn't she?

"Then you did a great job at it," she said, and her heart melted completely when his eyes softened and he smiled gently at her.

"I'm glad," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Her heart skipped a beat when he brought her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on her fingers. His gaze didn't leave hers for a second, and Videl felt her face burn up rapidly. The way he was looking at her… Like she was something precious, something he needed to treasure. Like she was the only one he could see, as if they were alone in the restaurant, as if it was just the two of them in the world. Like he would do anything for her, anything for her happiness…

God, was he going to kiss her already? To think they'd been so close to finally have their first kiss earlier… Hopefully, after he walked her home, he would kiss her goodbye like in those cheesy movies Erasa seemed to enjoy so much. Surely nothing would interrupt them next time, right?

The familiar, unwelcome beeping sound of her watch went off, breaking the moment, and Gohan let go of her hand to allow her to answer the call. Her finger was ready to push the button and do just that, but then Videl hesitated.

"Aren't you going to answer?" Gohan asked in confusion.

"I'm actually considering not to," she said truthfully. "I shouldn't have brought this watch with me."

"But…" Gohan bit his lower lip, looking torn. "But the police force need you. You've said yourself that they're hopeless."

"Well, they should learn to handle themselves without me," she decided, turning off the ringing and stubbornly crossing her arms across her chest. "Besides, Saiyaman's probably going to take care of everything by himself."

Gohan swallowed. No, Saiyaman wasn't going to make it and handle the crime situation because he was sitting right in front of her, and if she wasn't going to go, how was he supposed to leave and help the police instead of her?

Damn it. It would've been so much easier if he'd already told her the truth.

Maybe… Maybe now was the time?

Gohan swallowed. He should tell her now, shouldn't he? The urgency of the situation was forcing him to come clean; he couldn't possibly let the poor police officers deal with Satan City's ruthless criminals. People could get hurt, and worse. He needed to tell Videl the truth anyway. Now was as good a time as any, he figured.

Her watch started to beep again, and Videl cursed under her breath in irritation, pushing the button and answering the call.

"Yes?" she snapped, and the chief nervously explained the situation.

Gohan's heart was thumping hard against his ribs. He'd barely opened his mouth when her watch went off a second time. If it weren't for it… He'd actually been about to tell her, to finally get it out of his system.

He felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

"Yeah, fine. I'm on my way," sighed Videl, resigning herself. She stood up, giving Gohan an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry, Gohan… I can't believe I'm doing this to you again."

"Don't worry about it," he told her, smiling reassuringly. "At least this time we managed to spend the whole day together before we got interrupted."

She walked around the table and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for being so understanding. I'll be back as soon as possible."

He blushed deeply, and she smiled at him, her fingers brushing his spiky, surprisingly soft hair in an affectionate gesture. His gentle eyes stayed fixated on her, as if in a daze. Reluctantly, wishing she didn't have to go, Videl turned to leave.

"Be careful, okay? Don't do anything reckless," he said after her, his voice filled with concern.

She sent him a smirk over her shoulder. "I'll try."

Gohan let out a deep sigh after she left. He asked for the check and paid it – he couldn't really leave after Videl without paying after all, deal or not.

It was a real downpour outside, but Gohan hardly paid it any mind as he rushed out of the restaurant and then ran to a corner, before jumping high, landing on a random rooftop and out of sight. In a flash of light, he took off to the thundering sky dressed in his superhero outfit, his red cape flapping wildly behind him. The black visor wasn't quite convenient at night and the heavy rain wasn't helping either, but he could see well enough, and he had other things to worry about anyway. At least his head wouldn't get any more soaked thanks to his helmet.


	10. Timing

She knew, she just knew she shouldn't have bothered to show up. Looking past the umbrella an officer was holding for her and the chief as she was being told of the situation, Videl glanced up to the top of a skyscraper, where some crazy guy was holding a person hostage. The more she listened on, the more annoyed Videl got. It was just one guy, who apparently just lost his job and was threatening his former boss with a gun to the head; it was just one person, one gun, against the entire police forces.

"And why, exactly, did you need to call me for this again?" she snapped in irritation, rubbing her temples with her thumb and forefinger, and the chief sputtered in embarrassment. "I specifically requested to be left alone today, didn't I?"

She should've just left that damned watch home. She should've known this hopeless bunch would be calling for her help again. Damn it, why today? To think, if only she'd forgotten to wear her stupid watch before leaving today, she would still be with Gohan right now, at the restaurant, having fun with him. Now she had to handle this ridiculous situation, and she got completely soaked on her way to get there to top it off.

In moments like these, she wished she was just a normal teenage girl, not a crime fighter. Why would she always get called off when she was with Gohan? Couldn't she catch a break?

"What's going on?"

The unexpected deep voice startled her, and Videl turned around swiftly; sure enough, the Great Saiyaman was here, his silly costume completely drenched by the pouring rain.

"Ah! Great Saiyaman!" exclaimed the chief with relief, and Videl glared at the ranked policeman. How could he call himself the police chief when all he could do was rely on others to do his job?

The man quickly filled the superhero in with the situation at hand, who nodded in understanding. He then raised his helmeted head towards the top of the skyscraper, presumably looking at the pair on the roof's edge through his black visor.

"The thing is," went on the police chief, "that man especially demanded to see Miss Videl, which is why we had to –"

"He _what_?" exclaimed Saiyaman, his head jerking around to look back at the chief. Was there a hint of anger in his tone?

"Well, you see…" fumbled the older man. "He says he's her biggest fan and would only speak to her."

"So you're just going to give that psycho what he wants? Can't you stop him?" said Saiyaman, rather harshly.

"We have snipers surrounding him, of course!" retorted the chief, offended, obviously feeling the need to defend his decisions. "But he's got a hostage and is keeping him in front of him as a shield, there's nothing we can do in this situation! Unless you'd rather let the hostage get killed, too?"

"I'm taking care of it," Saiyaman declared firmly, and started levitating. "There's no need to involve Videl in this – or snipers."

Videl stared after the red-caped man's retreating figure, flying up to the top of the skyscraper. Saiyaman seemed… strangely protective of her. Not to mention he actually called her Videl for once, not Miss Videl like usual. The way he'd said her name felt oddly familiar, yet she couldn't pinpoint the reason. Something felt off about him tonight, somehow…

Less than a minute later, Saiyaman was flying back towards them, carrying an unconscious man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes – the bad guy, obviously – while he held a second man – the bad guy's former boss – around the waist.

He landed and put down the unconscious man unceremoniously, at the chief's feet, then let go of the rescued hostage; a medical crew rushed forward, while a police officer bent down to handcuff the wrongdoer.

"There, done," Saiyaman said, in an almost challenging way. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

And the Great Saiyaman took off to the dark, stormy sky, leaving behind a furious police chief and a bewildered Videl. Sure, she was the first to say that the police forces of Satan City were more than hopeless, but to flat-out show the chief how incompetent he was at his job? She'd never dared go that far, out of respect, even though sometimes she'd been quite tempted to do so more than once – tonight being one of those times.

It had been disrespectful and kind of rude of Saiyaman. The forces were doing the best they could, however unsuccessful they were. And yet, for some reason, Videl felt strangely satisfied by the outraged look on the chief's face.

Saiyaman had done what she'd always wanted to do. And tonight especially, when she very much resented the chief for calling her over such a stupid matter, she was glad someone had put him in his place. Maybe now he'll realize what a lousy job he'd been doing, always relying on others to get the work done, and will actually start trying harder. It would certainly give her a break.

Without wasting any more time – she should have just left when Saiyaman arrived, she mused distractedly – Videl ran back to her jetcopter, into the heavy rain again, quickly climbed in and started the engine, eager to join Gohan at the restaurant and pick up where they'd left off.

When she landed and rushed back in the restaurant, however, Gohan was nowhere to be seen. Still dripping wet, she asked the waitress who was in charge of their table about him, and was astonished to hear that Gohan had paid the check and left.

Before she could process the information, her cell phone's ringtone went off. She picked it up and, looking at the screen, quickly answered the call.

"Gohan, where _are_ you?"

She walked toward the restaurant's front door, and looked up at the black, pouring sky. She heard him heave out a deep sigh, and frowned.

"I… I'm really sorry, Videl," he said, sounding hesitant and discouraged. "It's just… Something came up and I… I had to go. I'm so sorry."

"… Oh."

ooOoo

Gohan let out another sigh, running a hand through his soaked hair. Once he was out of his disguise, he'd been about to go back to the restaurant and wait for Videl, but then he just… He was so sick of pretending. He hated doing as if he'd been waiting for her, when he had in fact been with her all along. He was sick of lying to her, sick of his secrets, sick of his own cowardice. He didn't have the will to face her and lie to her again. He just couldn't stand all the lies anymore.

He was in a deserted alley, with a good view of the front of the restaurant. While he had waited for her to come back and get safely inside, he'd pondered on whether he should join her or not. In the end, he decided to call her instead.

He didn't lie. Something did come up and he really had to go. Yet Gohan still felt sick in the stomach as he uttered those words. While it wasn't a lie, it was hidden truth, which was hardly any better.

He observed her, looking out from the glass door of the restaurant, and wondered how he could be worth a person as amazing and beautiful as her. Surely Videl deserved someone better, someone who wouldn't lie to her all the time, didn't she?

He sighed a third time.

"I… I still had a great time with you," Gohan said dejectedly, failing to sound cheerful.

"Y… Yeah. We had fun, didn't we?" she replied, half-heartedly.

There was a blank. Gohan swallowed.

"… I'm so sorry I had to leave so suddenly, Videl," he apologized again. "I was supposed to walk you home, too…"

"In that rain?" she asked rhetorically, and he could hear the smallest hint of amusement in her voice.

"Well, I have an umbrella, remember?" he said back, a small smile curving the corner of his lips ever so slightly.

He should probably use his umbrella, for that matter, but he didn't feel like taking it out now. He was already drenched to the bone anyway.

"You'll just have to make it up to me next time, then," she said, her soft voice reaching him from the other end of the line.

Gohan closed his eyes and, for a moment, imagined that Videl was right here, with him, and not across the street. That she was in his arms, whispered those words to him. He focused on that vision, recalling the times he had held Videl in his arms; the way it would make him feel, the wonderful feeling of peace that would wash over him as he would bask in her sweet scent.

Opening his eyes, he looked at her through the glass door, from the distance, and cracked a small smile as he replied, as if she were right here, by his side.

"I can't wait."

Oh, how he wished he could've held her in his arms just one more time tonight…

ooOoo

"So how did it go?"

Videl rolled her eyes. She had barely set her backpack beside her chair, didn't even get to sit down, when Erasa, evidently too impatient to let her settle down properly, asked her about her date with Gohan the day before.

Sending Erasa a smirk, Videl took her time, sitting down and taking out her school supplies for the upcoming class, reveling in her friend's impatience and curiosity. She could feel Erasa's eager eyes on her, waiting for the details of the date. Still, she took her time and opened her English book at a random page, pretending to read over the previous lesson.

"Well? How was your date with Gohan? Where did you go?"

Letting out a chuckle, Videl finally turned to Erasa, deciding that she'd made her wait long enough. She'd always liked teasing the people she liked; Gohan wasn't the only one, after all, though he was definitely the one she enjoyed seeing flustered the most. It was so easy with him, too.

"He took me to the zoo," she said, lowering her voice so as not to be heard by their curious classmates, who seemed to have scooted closer to them after Erasa's question. "I'll tell you more later."

Erasa nodded in understanding, though she was looking more impatient and excited than ever. As more students filled the classroom, Erasa didn't seem to be able to resist any more and, scooting closer to Videl and whispering to her ear, she asked the question she apparently could not wait to ask.

"Did he kiss you?"

Videl's face turned crimson in an instant. Inevitably, she thought of that fleeting moment when she'd been in his arms, and he'd cupped her face and started leaning to her, and she'd felt his warm breath brushing her lips… everything rushed back to her. But once again, they got interrupted before Gohan was able to finally close the distance and kiss her, like he had visibly intended to do, which had left her feeling awkward and frustrated.

The girl shook her head negatively in response, her face still looking as beet-red as ever.

"What's up with your face Vi?"

Sharpner had just come up to their row, and obviously noticed just how red and flustered she was. Videl groaned and buried her head in her arms, while Sharpner looked at Erasa questioningly. Smirking, Erasa simply mouthed "Gohan." The long-haired boy rolled his eyes and slid behind Videl's seat to get to his chair, next to her.

"Brains's late again, for that matter," Sharpner observed in a bored tone, rocking on his chair.

And indeed, the bell went off just a few moments later. The teacher walked in the classroom just as the melodic tune stopped; everyone settled down at once while the teacher sat down behind her desk and pulled out the attendance sheet. Videl straightened up and frowned slightly, her eyes fixated on the closed door below, on the far right of the classroom, while the English teacher was calling roll. Gohan being late for class was not an unusual occurrence, after all he lived pretty far away from the city. Still, something didn't sit well with her: she felt strangely restless, impatient for Gohan to show up.

"Missing him already?" whispered Erasa with a playful smirk. Videl felt her face heat up and pulled up her book to hide behind it, embarrassed to show how such a simple comment could make her turn so red.

Was she that obvious? Erasa was seeing through her like the open book she was using as a shield. It was silly, really, and rather unreasonable. She'd spent the whole day with him yesterday, and yet she couldn't wait to see Gohan again. She wanted him to hurry up, and she wanted to be alone with him again, and be in his arms again.

Videl let out a soft sigh and glanced at the door again over her open textbook. What was taking him so long?

The door burst open, followed by the usual "Sorry I'm late!" Gohan rubbed the back of his neck uneasily under the teacher's disapproving look, but let out a sigh of relief when he was told to take his seat.

She wished she could stop smiling as he walked up and caught her gaze right away, giving her a smile of his own. Erasa was going to tease her again, and she was positive the whole class was following their exchange attentively… but she really couldn't help it. Her eyes didn't leave his as he ascended, and then took his seat next to Erasa, at the end of their row. Her smile seemed glued on her face as she looked at him, feeling the familiar flutters in her chest when he mouthed to her a simple "Hi."

But then, her smile faltered slightly. Videl watched as Gohan opened his satchel and took out his things for the class. His movements seemed somewhat… slow. He blinked several times, as if trying to clear his sight, and stifled a yawn, covering his lips with his fist. She frowned slightly, wishing she could ask him why he looked so tired. Switching seats with Erasa wouldn't seem like such a bad idea, now.

When Gohan looked her way again, she soundlessly asked him if he was OK. He nodded his head and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry," he added, whispering, when her furrowed brows didn't relax.

She wasn't very convinced, and wanted to ask him more about it. Alas, it would have to wait until they could be alone again.

ooOoo

It wasn't until lunch break that the opportunity to be alone with Gohan presented itself. During the morning break, Erasa has insisted that she tell her everything about her date with Gohan. It had been quite the embarrassing experience, too.

" _Aww, so you guys got interrupted again? Man, that's really bad timing," Erasa'd said, when Videl told her, crimson-faced, about the "almost kiss" occurrence at the zoo._

" _Nothing I can do about it," mumbled Videl, still blushing._

" _Of course there is!" countered Erasa excitedly. "It's obvious, isn't it?_ You _gotta make the first move and kiss_ him _!"_

Videl flushed brightly and covered her face with her hands in an attempt to hide it, as she thought back to Erasa's suggestion. How did she expect her to be so bold as to just up and kiss Gohan like that? It would be her first kiss, too! She may be a tomboy, but she was still a girl – _especially_ if it had anything to do with Gohan – and that was a pretty big deal for her.

"You OK, Videl?"

She glimpsed through her fingers to look at Gohan, and her face only burned up more. He was bent over to her, his expression curious and a bit worried – and his face really, really close. Her first reaction was to take a step back, stuttering something even she didn't understand.

"Uhm, OK," Gohan said, uncertain. "Anyway, let's get to the courtyard."

As she followed behind him, Videl glanced around them uneasily, noting that, yet again, everybody in the hallway was more or less looking at them.

She grabbed Gohan's hand and pulled him towards the opposite direction. He blinked in surprise.

"Let's go somewhere else instead," she said quietly, and glanced at him over her shoulder. "I'm tired of them watching us all the time."

Gohan cracked a smile, his fingers tightening slightly around her small hand.

"How about the roof, then?" he suggested.

ooOoo

Gohan closed his eyes and sighed in content. Having Videl in his arms was the best.

Still on the roof, they'd got some time to spare before the lunch break was over, so naturally, they were putting it to good use. They were sitting on the ground, Videl on his lap, him leaning back against the rail and holding her close. Her head on his shoulder, her palm against his chest; her sweet scent was making him drowsy… Gohan played with her hair, distractedly wondering if it would be okay to untie her pigtails to run his fingers through her silky, raven locks.

"By the way," said Videl quietly, moving her head slightly so as to look at him. "Why were you so tired this morning? I figured you were a morning person, you're always so cheerful."

He smiled slightly. "I am. A morning person, I mean. I just, um, didn't get much sleep last night."

The topic was making him nervous, and it obviously didn't go unnoticed as Videl sat up to face him better.

"Why? Something wrong?"

It was strange how her worried expression could make him feel both happy and guilty. That Videl would worry for him, even for something so small, it was endearing and made him feel special, but at the same he felt bad to be making her worried. Moreover, the reason he'd had trouble sleeping last night was because of how guilty he felt about the way their first date ended, and of course, about how he still hadn't told her about his superhero alter-ego. Not only that, but he had promised himself, during their date yesterday, that he would absolutely tell her about it today no less, and the prospect hadn't helped him sleep at all, to say the least.

He was about to say that he was fine, but suddenly his voice wouldn't come out. His throat was completely dry.

He had to tell her today. _Now?_ Gohan wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. It was making him so anxious. Should he really tell her right here and now?

"What is it?" she asked, frowning in concern by his lack of response.

"It's… It's about the thing I need to tell you."

He'd blurted it out really fast, fearing that he might chicken out again if he kept hesitating any more. He had to do it now. He'd promised himself he would tell Videl today, and Son Gohan always, always kept his promises, especially those he made to himself. He'd decided to tell her today and darn it, he was going to say it right now.

He looked into her eyes, and placed his hands on her shoulders. Videl looked nervous, too, but she didn't say anything to let him go on.

This was it. He was doing it now.

"I'm–"

And his voice stopped working again.

"I… I'm…"

He tried again, and again, but the words just wouldn't come out of his mouth.

"I'm… I'm Ssss…"

It just wouldn't come out.

"Are you a snake?" Videl joked, to lighten up his mood. He chuckled slightly, but inwardly he felt awful.

He had promised it to himself. He had decided that he would do it today – that he would say it now. And yet… Why couldn't he just say it? It shouldn't be that hard to say _"I'm Saiyaman."_ It was just a few words. One short sentence.

Why, _why_ was it so hard to tell her?

Her soft palm touched his cheek, making Gohan look back at her. Her gentle smile made his heart skip a beat, and then clench painfully in guilt.

"It's alright," she said softly. "It's alright, you don't have to tell me now. If it's making you so upset and distraught, actually, you don't have to tell me at all."

His lips parted slightly, his mind was blank. He didn't have to tell her…? But, no, of course he had to. If she knew what it was about, if Videl knew what he was hiding from her, she wouldn't be saying that. Wasn't she the one who was determined to unmask Saiyaman? Wasn't she the one who had reproached him to be too secretive and suspicious, for that matter, on his first few weeks at school? She was the one who wanted to know his secrets… How could she say that he didn't have to tell her the truth, how could she encourage him to keep his secrets to himself, especially now that they were in a relationship?

Moreover, how could _Videl_ , of all people, suggest such a thing?

"Who are you and what happened to the nosy Videl," he asked in a low voice, only partly joking.

"I just…" She blushed slightly and lowered her eyes. "I don't want you to look like that."

"To look like what?" he asked, the corners of his lips curving up in spite of himself. She was just too cute.

"When you're not smiling," she mumbled, her face flaring up. "You looked like you were… struggling. So much. I don't like it. I don't like your eyes when you look sad. I just want you to keep smiling at me."

He was at a loss for words. She was still avoiding his gaze, staring somewhere below his collar, and her cheeks were an adorable cherry pink. Gohan lifted her chin gently, making her look at him, and as he stared back at her gorgeous blue orbs he felt his heart swell with love.

"That's the kindest thing anyone's ever said to me," he whispered, smiling in adoration at beautiful girl in his arms.

She chuckled softly, touching his cheeks with both her index fingers. "Now that's more like it. Smiling suits you much better."

He grinned, and she responded in kind, smiling at him brightly.

Gosh, he was so in love with this girl.

Gohan leaned his forehead against Videl's and closed his eyes, holding her closer against him. She was such an amazing girl, and for what seemed like the umpteenth time he wondered how he could be so lucky to be with a girl like Videl. Distractedly, jokingly, he thought maybe it was his reward because he saved the world years ago.

"I'm still going to tell you," he said, his tone soft yet determined. "I have to."

"Well, like I said, you can take your time telling me."

Her light-hearted voice seemed to be lifting some of the weight from his shoulders. Was it okay, then, if he postponed telling her for a little bit longer? He did promise himself to tell her today… and he really did try, so that should count, right? Or was he making excuses again?

In any case… It seemed like he wasn't ready to tell her yet. And Videl was fine with waiting until he was, too, so he figured it was kind of okay.

Her hand cupped his cheek, while the other one rested on his shoulder. When did her face get so close? He could actually feel her breath brushing his lips… Gohan felt a tug in his stomach, and swallowed, his breathing becoming heavier…

It occurred to him suddenly, that the issue was nowhere near solved. He was abruptly reminded of the other promise he'd made to himself, when in that very moment he wanted nothing more than to break it.

"Gohan…" she whispered his name, making the hair at the base of his neck stand up.

He gulped loudly.

"Y… Yeah?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he opened his eyes to look at her – bad, _bad_ move. The way she was looking at him, the glint in her eyes… Her light pants, her rosy lips. Those tantalizing, oh so tempting lips…

"I think it's about time we kiss, hm?"

Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy. _How_ was he supposed to resist _now_? This was bad… He already couldn't keep his promise to tell her about him today, and now he was actually considering kissing Videl when he really really shouldn't, not before she knew who she was really dealing with.

And she was so close… So intoxicatingly close. Damn it, why did these situations keep happening to them?

"We… can't," he uttered out, forcing the words out, while gently pushing her back by the shoulders.

Videl stared at him, lips parted, completely dumbfounded. A lump rose to his throat as she moved away from him, and his eyes followed her as she stood up.

"The bell is going to ring soon, we should go."

"Videl, look…" he started, getting up so he could face her, although, he didn't really know what to say.

But she turned away from him and started toward the door. Just then, the bell went off, and Videl walked through the door, not pausing or waiting for him, and disappeared into the staircase.

And Gohan just stood there.


	11. Bumps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little backstory. This story is actually kind of inspired by the manga/anime Kimi ni Todoke, and at one point in the manga I got really, REALLY frustrated with Shouta (the male protagonist), so, naturally, I had to do the same to you all with Gohan, hehe.
> 
> When I first started writing Innocent Feelings, I got stuck at some point in the first chapter, and since I didn't know how to continue I left it like that for a while. Then, after I watched and read Kimi ni Todoke, I was inspired again and was able to continue writing. I wanted to give off a similar, "innocent" and fluffy atmosphere in my story, and adapted some scenes for Gohan and Videl.
> 
> Now, onto the story!

_Don't think about it. Just keep walking. Don't let it show. Just keep going._

Videl repeated these thoughts over and over again in her head, keeping her feelings bottled down as she swiftly passed the other students and hurried to class.

She couldn't let them see that she was hurt and confused. She had to keep a blank face. She had to stay strong. She had to keep it all inside, at least while she was still at school.

Now was _really_ not the time to break down.

She bite back the tears threatening to come out. Now was _not_ the time to dwell on it! She was Videl Satan, dammit! She was stronger than that!

But _what the hell_ was that all about? What did Gohan mean, _"we can't"_? Why would he say that? And just when she mustered the courage to make the first move, too… Everything had been going so well between them, _why_ wouldn't Gohan kiss her? Didn't he want to as much as she did? Didn't he try to kiss her only yesterday? Why not now?

He actually rejected her… _Why_?

The knot in her stomach tightened more than ever, rising up to her throat and clouding her sight. And then Videl abruptly changed course, hurrying to the girls' bathroom.

As soon as she got there, she rushed inside one of the cubicles and slammed the door behind her. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She put her hand against her mouth, muffling the sound of her sobs.

Stupid, stupid Gohan. She knew getting involved with a boy would end up with her getting hurt. But… it was Gohan. Sweet, adorable, kind and caring Gohan. With him, she should've been safe. With Gohan… He wasn't supposed to make her cry. He wasn't supposed to make her feel stupid and undesirable.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes, feeling stupid and pitiful for crying over something like that.

"Ugh, I hate this…" she muttered, as the tears just kept coming.

The second bell rang, signaling that next period started. Videl sighed heavily, wishing she had been able to hold it in and go to class. People were bound to start talking now, if Gohan showed up without her. Not to mention those who saw her running to the bathroom.

She was such a girl… Hiding in there to cry, and because of a boy no less. What ever happened to the tough, confident and fearless tomboy she used to be? Her life was a lot less complicated when she wasn't interested in boys, which, for that matter, had been precisely why she'd turned down each and every boy who ever asked her out. She never wanted to be caught in this love drama like all the other girls. A waste of time, she used to think.

And then Gohan asked her out…

Well, nothing she could do about it now. It was really a stupid thing to cry over, anyway. Yeah, so Gohan stopped them from kissing, and yeah it didn't make any sense, but he probably had his reasons, whatever it could be. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway…

"Gohan, you idiot," she muttered to herself, tearing off some toilet paper to blow her nose and wipe her face.

Ugh… she felt like crap.

ooOoo

As everyone was gathering their things to get going, Erasa frowned at Videl's empty chair for what seemed like the umpteenth time in the past few hours. She then turned her head to her other side, as a frowning Gohan slowly packed his stuff.

He wouldn't give a straight answer when she tried asking him what happened with Videl at lunch, pretending to be listening to the teacher's lecture even though he was obviously thinking and brooding about whatever had happened between him and Videl.

Well, whatever it was, it did not look good.

"So what did you do, Brains," Sharpner asked casually, shouldering his backpack. "Didn't want to share your food with Videl?"

Erasa stifled a laugh and snorted at that. Trust Sharpner to lighten the mood with a silly joke in an awkward situation.

But Gohan didn't laugh, didn't even crack a smile. His brow furrowed more than ever and he simply shook his head, as he finished packing up and shouldered his satchel. Then he said he had better get going and started towards the door.

"Hey, wait, Gohan," called Sharpner, jogging after the other boy.

Erasa blinked; Gohan actually stopped and looked at Sharpner over his shoulder, eyebrows raised and blinking twice. Even the few of their classmates who were staying behind paused to look at the pair of boys, seeming unsure as to whether they had actually heard Sharpner call Gohan by his name. The former rolled his eyes.

"What?" he said, annoyed with the surprised stares he was getting. "There's nothing to see for you guys, get movin'."

That seemed to do the trick. Although curious and gossipy whispers rose here and there, the other kids turned away from them to mind their own business, or at least to pretend to.

Sharpner walked up to Gohan, put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"C'mon," he said. "Let's go for a snack before you go home."

"Yeah," added Erasa, joining them, then walking alongside them through the door. "You look like you could use some sweets."

At last, a small, awkward, but grateful smile relaxed Gohan's features, as he started rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it, but I think I better get going."

"Aww don't be like that," said Erasa, moving to walk backward as she faced the boys, hands joined behind her back. "Surely you can give us a bit of your time, hm? You never stay to hang out after school."

"Erasa, don't do that, it's dangerous," said Gohan, seeming more concerned about her getting hurt while walking backward than the topic at hand.

"Bah, I do it all the time," she replied, waving him off.

"And you should stop that bad habit of yours," said Sharpner, agreeing with Gohan.

Erasa rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "Fine." She moved to stand on Gohan's other side, looking up at him sweetly. "So, you coming with us? I stopped walking backward, see?"

He sighed in defeat and nodded, scratching his hair. "All right. I guess a snack won't hurt."

"Awesome!" Erasa said excitedly, sharing a triumphant grin with Sharpner. "I know just the place to go!"

ooOoo

The restaurant was filled with a low chatter from the people scattered amongst the tables. The afternoon sun filled the area, reflecting off of the red wood of the tables and stools. A young couple was sharing a scoop of ice cream in the wrap-around booth next to hers, and Videl made sure to ignore them completely, keeping her stare fixated on her lemon pie.

"Say 'aahhh'," cooed the girl, no doubt spoon-feeding her boyfriend.

"Come on Jen, that's embarrassing," he said after swallowing the spoonful.

"Aww, but you know you love it."

Videl rolled her eyes at their antics. Could they get any more mushy? There were in a public place for Pete's sake, couldn't they tone down the lovey-dovey atmosphere?

Surely she and Gohan weren't that bad, right?

Her mood soured even more at that thought. Videl sighed heavily, playing with her fork. The lemon pie in this restaurant usually made her feel better when she felt down, but this time it didn't seem to work. She didn't really felt like eating, to be honest.

The girly giggle made her glance over at the other booth, but Videl quickly looked away and her face heated up; they were kissing now. Just what she needed…

She looked left and right – carefully avoiding the make-out session on her left – and waved a waitress over to ask for the check. Slumping back on her seat, she stared out through the bay window and let out another sigh, hoping the waitress would hurry.

Her eyes widened then, as she caught sight of a head of spiky black hair walking along with two blondes, all headed to that very restaurant. Acting on impulse, she quickly got under the table to hide, just as the chime of the door opening went off and three pairs of shoes walked in.

In her head she cursed her bad luck over and over again, and then she cursed Erasa, who was obviously the one who told the guys about this place; she and Erasa often hung out in this place together. Why did she have to bring Gohan here _now_ , of all times? She wasn't ready to face him!

Nervously, she followed Gohan's black dress shoes as they paused by one of the ottomans of another table. Great. Just great. How was she going to leave that place with him seated such a short distance away?

And then she held her breath: he suddenly changed his course and was walking straight in her direction. But, no, he couldn't know she was hiding here, he shouldn't be able to see her… And yet, he stopped when he reached her booth and without any hesitation, crouched down to look under the table.

She was completely speechless, and Gohan gave a mild smile.

"Are you hiding from me now?" he said, his voice soft, black eyes looking at her with a hint of sadness.

"N-No!" she instinctively protested, her face turning red. "I'm not hiding, I dropped something!"

In her haste to slide back onto her seat, Videl bumped her head against the wood and yelped, massaging the sore spot on her skull as she sat down. Gohan was sitting right next to her not a millisecond later.

"Are you OK? Let me check your head," he said worriedly, reaching up to her face.

"I'm fine!" she said hastily, and slid off the booth before his hand could make contact. She looked around; what was taking the waitress so long?

"Oh, hey Videl!"

"'Sup."

Videl sighed, turning to her two blonde friends who were heading towards them carrying three milkshakes and a plate of chocolate muffins.

"Hey guys. Sorry, I can't stay, I've got to pay my check," she said quickly, while they sat down.

"Oh, that's too bad," said Erasa, her usual smile dimming down.

"Yeah, sorry."

Finally, the waitress came with her check and Videl paid quickly. She apologized again, and immediately regretted glimpsing at Gohan when he stood up – he looked so helpless.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" he asked, and Videl forced herself to look away from his pleading eyes.

"Yeah, shouldn't you work things out or whatever?" said Sharpner bluntly. "Erasa and I can go sit somewhere else – ouch! What was that for?" he complained to Erasa, who had kicked his leg under the table. "I'm just tryin' to help 'em!"

"Can't you be more subtle about it? _Geez_ ," sighed Erasa, before turning to Gohan and her again. "But he's right. We can go if you guys want to be alone."

"It's fine, and I gotta go," said Videl, getting annoyed at her friends. Sure, they were just trying to help, but she'd rather they mind their own business. She certainly didn't want to be alone with Gohan right now. "Well then."

She turned to leave, but Gohan grabbed her forearm to hold her back. She looked at him over her shoulder.

"Wait. Stay," he pleaded. "Please."

She was completely frozen. Her mind only registered the gentle touch on her bare arm, and his sad, puppy eyes, begging her not to go. Her heartbeats picked up, her face flushed dark red, her lips parted slightly.

It didn't help that he was so absurdly handsome.

"Well, um, me and Sharpner will leave you alone then," Erasa muttered uneasily, motioning to the other side of the restaurant to the other blonde.

Videl snapped out of it. "I said it's fine!" she said suddenly, tearing her gaze from Gohan to frown at her two friends. "I already ate and I want to go home, OK?"

"But…" Gohan started, but Videl cut him off before he could insist any more, shaking her forearm free of his hold.

"And I don't need to sit just to watch you stuff your face, either!"

And with that she stormed off, leaving Gohan feeling utterly miserable as he stared after her. Sharpner and Erasa exchanged a wince.

"That was harsh…" Erasa said slowly.

"I don't know what you did Brains, but man, you really screwed up."

Gohan didn't say anything in reply, didn't even acknowledge what they said. He just stood there and stared at the same spot, even though Videl was already gone. After a while, he simply picked up his school bag and shouldered it.

"Sorry guys, I don't really feel like eating right now. I'll see you tomorrow."

He didn't even glance at them as he walked out, ignoring Erasa's feeble attempt at holding him back. And he just kept walking, aimlessly, his hands in his pockets and looking at his feet. He felt completely discouraged and empty.

How could he mess up so bad?

His chest felt so tight and knotted; every heartbeat throbbed painfully as his mind replayed Videl's hurting expression before she left, over and over. Although her words stung, Gohan knew she didn't mean it, that she only said that because she was mad at him.

He swallowed hard. Was he… going to lose her…?

The very thought tightened his heart so painfully that Gohan had to stop walking, and clutched his chest. No, he couldn't lose Videl. What would he do without her? He wouldn't be able to handle it. Losing her… He didn't even want to think of the possibility; it hurt too much.

Letting out a sigh, the young man looked at up the afternoon sky. What should he have done? Would it have been better if he just kissed her when they were on the roof? His throat dried at the thought. God, they'd been so close, and he'd craved her so _badly_ … It was a wonder he'd even managed to stop her… Gohan sighed again, running his hand through his hair. Even though he had good reasons not to kiss Videl yet, he had never imagined the situation would get so out of hand.

He looked wistfully in the direction of her house. He wanted to go see her… and he wanted to tell her everything, once and for all. Not just the Saiyaman thing – _everything_. He wanted her to know him, the real him. He wanted to show his true self to her – and only to her.

His heart beat frantically as he thought of doing just that, right there, right now. Swallowing hard, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants, Gohan took a step forward, finally making up his mind.

And then his cell phone rang. He almost tripped on his own two feet at the abrupt interruption, and quickly opened his satchel and picked up the ringing device. It was his mom.

"He-Hey Mom!" he answered nervously.

"Gohan, didn't I specifically ask you _to let me know if you're going to be late_?" his mother reminded him accusingly, sounding particularly irritated at the last part. "I understand that you want to spend time with your girlfriend after school, but you have to tell me or you know I'll worry! What's the point of getting you a mobile phone if you're not going to use it?"

"S-Sorry, Mom. I'm coming home right away," he said hastily, hoping it would ease her. And then he almost slapped himself: he was supposed to go see Videl! Darn it!

"OK, good," she said firmly. "Hurry."

She hung up, and Gohan hung his head in defeat. Dumbly, he found a secluded street and took off to the sky while pressing the red button on his watch to change into the Great Saiyaman.

He sighed heavily. Was he ever going to tell Videl at this rate? Not to mention, every time he tried his voice would stop working and nothing would ever come out. What was he to do? The situation with her had gotten so bad… He had to fix it, and fast. He couldn't risk to let the distance between them grow any further; it was already unbearable to him now as it was.

He was almost home now, and Gohan let out another sigh as he flew over the mountains. Out of habit, he wanted to scratch his hair, but his orange helmet got in the way.

And then it clicked. _Of course!_ He thought suddenly. _My helmet!_

It would be so easy if he just took it off; how come he didn't think of that sooner? He wouldn't need to tell her he was Saiyaman, he'd just let Saiyaman show her who he was!

He sped up to get home faster, his heart jolting in nervous excitement. His mind was set: there was no going back now, whether he liked it or not. As soon as he was done with the family dinner he was flying back to Satan City, and more specifically, he was going to see Videl.

 _Tonight,_ Gohan thought resolutely. _I'm doing it tonight._


	12. Now

The kitchen was silent, save from the sound of scrubbing and running water, as well as a faint scratching of pen on paper. While Chichi washed the dishes and Goten focused on drying them carefully, Gohan was sitting at the kitchen table and furiously jotting down answers on his math homework.

He tried to stay focused – after all he did promise his mom his grades wouldn't drop just because he had a girlfriend now – but he kept checking the time on his watch and found himself glancing outside at the darkening sky more often than not. It wasn't helping him finish this thing faster, but really, Gohan couldn't help it. He sighed, discouraged. _Rhaa_ … he wanted to go see Videl already!

After dinner, he had barely reached the kitchen door when Chichi asked him if he had any homework to do. Gohan had actually considered lying so that he could just leave for Satan City, but with how bad a liar he was, and how sharp his mother was, deception was not an option. And so, grudgingly, he'd sat back and started working. It wasn't like schoolwork was hard for him but it certainly was time consuming, and right now time wasn't something Gohan wanted to waste.

He frowned at his notebook. Then he abruptly shut it and stood, gathering his things.

"I'm going out for a bit," he said, stuffing everything in his school bag.

"Where?" asked Chichi immediately, her back still turned as she handed a clean plate to her younger son.

"Can I come?" said Goten excitedly, his eyes lighting up. The little guy probably thought he was going on an adventure or something of the like.

"Sorry Goten, we'll play another time," he said, slowly backing up to the kitchen door. "Well, umm… I won't be long! Later!"

And he quickly rushed outside, took off to the sky, and cringed when he heard his mom screaming after him from the distance. Well didn't that go well…

But Gohan shook his head and his expression turned serious, staring right ahead. He sped up as he soared through the starlit sky. He would worry about the consequences of his brash move later; he had something more important to do right now. He checked the hour on his watch, and then pressed the red button.

The visor darkened his vision, but Gohan kept flying faster and faster, focusing on his destination. He'd wasted enough time as it was – not just tonight, but from the moment he got together with Videl. Even before that, actually, he'd already been considering telling her about Saiyaman.

Well, it was about time he did just that.

Gohan saw city lights from the distance and sped up even more, anxious to get to Videl. It didn't take him long to reach his destination, and Gohan stopped in mid-air to observe the impressive mansion. He could sense a lot of people inside, and quickly singled out the one _ki_ signature he knew most.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then proceeded to hover around the luxurious home to get to Videl. The window was closed, but the curtains were pulled open and he could see light from inside. He moved towards it. _Well, here goes nothing…_

Floating just outside her window, Gohan didn't dare peer inside and cast his eyes downward. He knocked twice on the glass.

" _Saiyaman_?" He heard Videl's muffled, surprised voice exclaim from inside her room.

Rushed steps approached, yet he still didn't dare look up. The window was swept open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in understandable disbelief.

"I…" he started, finally looking up, but then his voice trailed off and his face flared up.

Her hair was down, and she was only wearing a short-sleeved night shirt, the hem going just past her hips… and Gohan could not help himself staring. The wide collar had slid off her left shoulder slightly, and the strap of her bra was visible. Behind his visor, his eyes wandered up and down her figure, and the teen was quite thankful that Videl couldn't see them right now.

She looked so… desirable. He swallowed.

Videl was watching him expectantly, and Gohan forced himself to focus. She shifted her feet slightly, and tried to pull down the front of her shirt; it didn't move much and she looked annoyed.

It only made him more nervous and self-conscious of this awkward situation.

"M-May I come in?" he stuttered, and his face still felt pretty hot when Videl narrowed her eyes at him. Did she notice that he'd been staring?

"Why?" she asked warily, crossing her arms over her chest, holding on to her arms.

He let out a soft sigh. Of course, he shouldn't be surprised that Videl wasn't welcoming him with open arms when he had his disguise on, but it really wasn't making his task any easier.

"I need to tell you something important," he replied, his tone serious.

Videl frowned at him, looking as suspicious as ever, and Gohan felt a trickle of sweat roll down his temple. What should he do if she didn't let him in? Should he just take off his helmet right there and now, floating outside her window?

"Pfff…" she chuckled ironically, placing curled fingers over her mouth. "What, you're finally going to tell me who you really are?"

He gave an awkward smile and scratched his cheek. "Well, actually…"

Videl froze, staring at him, her lips parted. Then her eyes widened and she leaned forward onto the window sill. "Wh- _What_? For _real_? You're really going to tell me?"

Gohan tried to calm his nerves and his frantic heart. He needed to do this. Videl had to know. His throat felt dry and he swallowed, willing himself to find his voice. "Can you let me in Videl, please?"

"S-sure, come in," she replied, moving back to let him inside with no hesitation this time, albeit somewhat nervously.

Gohan climbed through the window and hopped onto the purple patterned carpet, his red cape falling slowly with his movement. The young man couldn't help glancing around a little, after all this was Videl's bedroom, and his first time setting foot in it. He didn't linger much though, didn't want to invade her privacy, and turned to Videl. She swallowed, staring at him anxiously. Well, she'd always wanted to know his true identity after all; no wonder it was making her nervous, too.

"You should sit down, Videl," he said softly. He wondered if Videl noticed that he wasn't faking his voice anymore.

"R-right…" she mumbled, casting her eyes to the ground as she walked past him to go sit on her bed.

Gohan stood there for a moment, watching her. Videl glanced at him but averted her gaze quickly. She tried to pull down the front of her night shirt again, and Gohan felt his face heat up once more as his eyes unwillingly wandered to her bare legs. So beautiful…

Snapping out of it with a shake of his head, he rubbed the nape of his neck, and pondered on what to do next. Should he just take off his helmet now? He took a few steps towards Videl, and she looked back at him.

Then, on a whim, he closed the distance between them and kneeled down in front of her. The sudden closeness made his heart pound even faster. Her scent reached his nostrils and he breathed in softly.

"Um… S-So…?" she stuttered, uncertain and even blushing a little, avoiding looking at him. She tucked raven tendrils behind her ear, and Gohan refrained himself from cupping her cheek with his gloved hand.

"Take it off," he said suddenly, making her look back at him with raised eyebrows, her lips parted slightly. He reached over to unclasp the strap of his helmet, leaving it dangling from his jawline. "My helmet. You've been trying to take it off of my head, right?"

She looked speechless; her pupils were dilated, and her mouth closed and opened a few times. Then she swallowed, her fingers curling on the comforter on her bed.

"C… Can I really?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes," he nodded, and lowered his head towards her slightly for emphasis. "I want you to. Take off my helmet, Videl, I won't dodge this time. Go ahead."

He watched her carefully. Was she… hesitating? But wasn't it what she'd wanted ever since he first became a superhero? Maybe she just couldn't believe it… She swallowed again, and then nodded her head, sweat trickling down her cheek.

"O… OK…" she said slowly, reaching for his helmet.

Her hands were on both sides of the orange headgear, and Gohan didn't take his eyes off of her. As scared as he was to see her reaction, he needed to see it. He needed to know whether Videl accepted the truth.

No, actually, he needed her to accept it. He didn't even want to think what would happen if… No, he wasn't going to dwell on it, especially not now, when it was too late; when Videl was slowly lifting his mask.

 _Clunk, clunk._ The helmet slipped from her grasp and dropped at her feet. Her hand moved to her lips.

"Oh my god… Gohan…"

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He'd wanted to say so many things, had rehearsed this moment in his head so many times before, and yet now his mind was completely blank. All he could register was Videl's shocked blue eyes.

She swallowed, and slowly, cautiously, traced his face with the tip of her fingers. "It's really you," she whispered, as if she could barely believe he was in front of her.

"I've tried telling you," he said, grateful that his voice was working again. "I even…" He averted his gaze and blushed. "I even forbade myself from kissing you because I wanted you to know the truth first."

She didn't say anything, so Gohan chanced a glance at her. His heart sank when he saw her frowning. Was she mad at him? Oh, what was he thinking? Of course she was mad at him, he'd been lying and hiding from her since the day they met!

"I… I'm so sorry Videl."

He hung his head, feeling dejected and miserable, and shut his eyes tightly, his fists clenched against his thighs. Why couldn't he have told her sooner? Was it really too late now?

His chest gave a painful pang. Was he… was he actually going to lose her?

Smooth, small hands cupped his face, and Gohan opened his eyes, dreadfully looking at Videl. Yet, her eyes were soft – as gentle as her touch. His heart skipped a beat; his lips parted, his breathing deepened.

"Didn't I tell you?" she said softly. "Stop making that face. I really hate how your eyes look when you're beating yourself up like that."

He gaped slightly, his eyes wide in disbelief. "You… You're not mad at me?"

Her eyes lowered, along with her hands, to his green tunic; she frowned slightly, thoughtfully. "You tried telling me today, didn't you?"

He nodded his head. Her blue orbs shifted back to his face.

"And that other time, too. When we were making plans for our date."

"Yeah…" he said softly. "But every time I tried…" He sighed, scratching the hair at the base of his neck. "Every time… the words just wouldn't come out."

She nodded her head, seeming to ponder on something. "And last night, when you didn't come back to the restaurant."

"I… I couldn't face you. I didn't want to lie to you again… I was so sick of pretending – I even regretted ever creating Saiyaman." He looked her in the eye. "I never wanted to lie to you, Videl. I hated lying to you more than anything. You have to believe me."

She looked back him thoughtfully, her brow furrowed slightly; her hands clutched the collar of his tunic then, and her eyes shifted down to it again. Her voice was but a whisper. "You made me cry, you know."

Something inside him shattered. Gohan blanched, his eyes widened, his breathing hitched; each of his heartbeats became excruciatingly painful. He… He made her… He made Videl… His precious Videl… She actually… Because of him…

"You… You cried… because of me… I actually… I actually… I'm so…" The words had trouble coming out. He closed his eyes. His hands, his shoulders were shaking. "My god, I'm so worthless. How could I…? Making you cry… I can't believe I… I…" He swallowed hard. " _I'm supposed to treasure you._ "

Arms flung around his neck; her scent washed over him as Videl cradled his head on her shoulder, holding him close against her.

"Please stop," she whispered hoarsely, burying her face in the crook of his neck, her hold around him tightening. "Stop beating yourself up. I shouldn't have told you."

"I shouldn't have made you cry," he muttered, sniffing. Eh…? He's gotten her shirt wet…? When did he…?

"Well, now we're even, aren't we?"

Gohan wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly against him. Desperately.

"I'm so sorry, Videl. For everything," he whispered helplessly.

"It's OK, Gohan, I'm not mad."

He pulled back slightly to look at her, wiping his face with a gloved hand. "You're not?"

She shook her head, smiling at him softly. "I know you've been trying to tell me, it must've been hard on you… I was just upset when you… pushed me away. Why did you go and decide by yourself not to kiss me, anyway?" she suddenly asked, frowning slightly. "Shouldn't I have had a say in it?"

He blushed and gave a nervous smile. "I just thought… I thought you should know who you were dealing with first, you know? That maybe… well, that you might change your mind about me, once you knew."

Her arms, still around his neck, pulling him closer. "Well, obviously, you were wrong."

Gohan felt the weight slowly lift from his shoulders. He smiled in relief, touching her forehead with his. "I was so worried that you'd hate me."

Pink tinted her cheeks, and she muttered, "I can't hate you, Gohan. I like you too much."

His heart gave a joyous jolt at her words. Gohan grinned, closing his eyes, and let this wonderful feeling wash over him. Having her so close against him, hearing her say these words… And her sweet scent, her breath brushing his face, her soft body pressed up to his…

His throat tightened.

"Videl," he breathed out, his chest heaving in and out in anticipation.

"Hm?"

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"About time…" she whispered, sounding as breathless as he felt.

He tilted his head to the side, placing his hand against the nape of her neck, and slowly closed the distance between them… Their lips touched for the first time, shyly, gently – and Gohan felt like the world had stopped. Everything… everything became meaningless, unimportant, insignificant – everything but Videl. And her lips.

 _Ahh…_ How could she make him feel so… so alive, with such a simple touch? He'd imagined many times what kissing Videl would feel like, but this… This didn't compare to anything. It was indescribable, undefinable. Unimaginable.

It was stronger than anything he'd ever felt.

Gohan pressed his lips more firmly to hers, holding Videl closer against him. His heart was fluttering madly, and his lips, his whole being was tingling delightfully with Videl's touch. And he wanted more of it, more of her – all of her. Kissing Videl… it was only making him crave her more and more.

So he kept kissing her – again, and again, pulling back only a few short moments every time, gasping for air. Their lips were getting swollen, but Gohan didn't care; he just wanted to keep kissing Videl, and to keep her against him, in his arms; he wanted to show her just how much she meant to him through his kisses. Nothing else mattered to him.

They had no idea how long they had been kissing like that, but eventually, reluctantly, Gohan started to pull away – only to have Videl closing the distance again, visibly as unwilling as him to break apart.

"Videl, I –" he started, only to have his voice muffled by Videl's lips. He easily gave in, responding to her enthusiastically. He didn't really want to go home just yet anyway…

Sometime later, Gohan forced himself to turn his brain back on. He tried to focus on the trouble that no doubt awaited him at home, but even the prospect of getting grounded and yelled at didn't seem all that bad if he could just keep kissing Videl for a little longer.

"I really… should go…" he panted between kisses. Yet he only held her closer.

"I know," she breathed against his lips.

He kissed her deeply, avidly. He really couldn't stop. She was too addicting.

They somehow managed to get up while still exchanging kisses, and clumsily backed up towards the open window. But even when they reached it they still wouldn't pull away, as if they were glued to each other.

"Man," he said, leaning over to press his forehead against Videl's, breathing hard. "I really don't want to go. I don't even care anymore."

She giggled, and got on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. "We'll see each other tomorrow."

He captured her lips again before she could pull back, gently brushing her bangs out of her face. She grinned up at him when they finally broke apart, and Gohan reluctantly turned to climb on the window sill.

"Wait, your helmet!" Videl suddenly remembered, rushing back to the foot of her bed to pick it up.

Gohan gave an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his head: he had completely forgotten he was still wearing the Great Saiyaman disguise. Videl walked up to him and handed him the orange helmet with a bright smile and gleaming eyes.

His heart swelled in joy. Seeing her look so happy… He really couldn't ask for more.

"You're gonna need that, Mr. Saiyaman," she said, grinning at him playfully. He chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Miss Videl," he said in a low, teasing tone.

It amused him that after all the kisses they'd shared tonight, a simple peck on the cheek could make Videl flush so much. Unable to resist, Gohan leaned in one last time, taking his time savoring her lips.

"See you tomorrow, then," he whispered, brushing his fingers through her silky black locks.

"Yeah."

He put his helmet back on, and turned to the window, placing his foot on the sill. Before he hopped out, however, Gohan looked at his girlfriend over his shoulder and grinned. She beamed back at him, and Gohan had to refrain from turning around and pulling her to him again.

At last, the young man took off to the night sky, feeling lighter and happier than ever. Even when he got home and got an earful from his mother, Gohan simply could not unglue the silly grin from his face.


	13. Change

It was with the gentle melody of birds chirping, of wind rustling leaves, and of the soft snoring of his sleeping little brother that Gohan woke up the next morning. The sun had just risen, the scarce clouds were still a little tinted with purple and orange, and the soft light passing through his open window was bathing him in a pleasant glow. His eyes still closed, slowly emerging from sleep, Gohan dazedly felt his lips break into a smile he could not help.

And then his eyes opened and he sat up, stretching and yawning, and his smile turned into a wide grin as he remembered the events of the previous night.

He blushed slightly, getting up, turned off his alarm clock, and headed to the bathroom. Kissing Videl last night, it'd been just… It'd been so… It'd felt like…

In the bathroom, Gohan splashed his face with cold water several times. He looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror, his face still dripping – and his lips still stretched out in the largest grin. But he really couldn't help himself. Revealing the truth to Videl last night had gone beyond what he could have ever hoped for; not only did she not get mad at him for lying, but he also got to experience the most wonderful and intense feeling he'd ever felt when they kissed for the first time.

Although, all the kissing made him kind of forget to tell Videl _all_ of his secrets like he'd planned to. He still felt a little nervous about it, but he knew he had to do it. He didn't want to keep any secret from Videl; he wanted her to know everything about him. And he wanted to know everything about her, too.

Gohan hurried to finish his morning routine and got ready for school, then went to the kitchen, where his mother was already fixing up breakfast.

"Good morning, Mom," he greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning…" Chichi replied slowly, eyeing him from the corner of her eye. "You're up earlier than usual."

"Mhmm," he acquiesced absent-mindedly. "Breakfast smells delicious. Do you need any help?"

"Well, you can start setting the table, yes."

"Sure."

Gohan proceeded to do just that, his happy smile ever so glued on his face. Little did he know Chichi was still watching him carefully as she continued cooking, while he moved around the table and set the cutlery.

"You did finish your homework last night, didn't you?" she inquired, and Gohan looked up at that, grinning.

"Of course! You really don't need to worry, Mom, I'm getting top marks for it, for sure," he assured her, finishing up setting the table. "Do you need help with anything else?"

"Could you get me the milk, please?"

"On it!"

His smile was so wide, so happy and innocent. Chichi was glad to see her son happy like this, but at the same time she was still unsure as to whether it was a good idea for him to start dating, and she also didn't like how secretive Gohan was about his girlfriend. She certainly wasn't happy with the way he'd just taken off last night, no doubt to go see the aforementioned girlfriend. Sure, so far Gohan was still bringing home perfect marks like he'd promised, but Chichi was still worried. Maybe if Gohan would at least tell her more about that girl, it could ease some of her worry… She should know what kind of girl her son was so serious about, shouldn't she? But Gohan had barely said anything about her – not even her name! Sure, Chichi could understand that talking about that kind of thing to one's mother would be embarrassing, but she wasn't asking for an entire biography – why wouldn't Gohan tell her more about his girlfriend?

 _At least he's happy_ , she kept telling herself. But her worries would always win over the rest, and she would always end up wondering, _but what if she breaks his heart?_

"Good morning!" Goten chimed happily, breaking her train of thoughts. "Is breakfast ready? I'm starving!"

"Good morning, sweetie," she said in reply, smiling to her youngest. "It'll be ready in a few minutes, so go sit at the table."

"Yaayy…!" he cheered, running to his seat. As he sat, Gohan ruffled his wild hair and Goten grinned even wider.

ooOoo

Erasa eyed her dark-haired friends skeptically. Yesterday it felt like the end of the world for Videl, who wouldn't even stay in the same room as Gohan… And now, there they were, both in school extra early just so they could spend more time together before class, and holding hands like nothing was wrong in the world – and, Erasa noticed, they seemed to be extra close to each other. Sure, she was glad her friends had managed to work things out, whatever the problem between them had been, and, yes, she wished she knew the details of the story – she was still hoping to hear more about it later from Videl, of course – but it looked to Erasa that something had… changed, somehow, between Gohan and Videl. It was like, they seemed to be closer than ever, but there was something else, too…

A kind of… new intimacy between them.

"Well, I'm glad you guys worked things out," she commented, but the couple seemed completely oblivious to her presence, still in full "lovey-dovey mode", as Erasa liked to call it.

Gohan hummed in absent-minded agreement, not taking his eyes off of his girlfriend. Okay, this was getting ridiculous. Erasa was never one to hate on couples, but these displays of affection were kinda getting on her nerves! She did _not_ enjoy being ignored, either.

"So, what happened anyway?" she asked, leaning back against a random locker.

"I was being an idiot," answered Gohan, surprising Erasa by the quick response, despite having only eyes for Videl it seemed. "But this wonderful girl here forgave me, because she is the best girlfriend ever and I'm the luckiest guy alive."

Videl giggled, leaning against Gohan's chest while he wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the one that wasn't already holding her hand.

"You sure are," she grinned, her eyes twinkling with something akin to adoration, as they stayed only on Gohan.

Erasa now knew exactly what it felt like to be completely invisible – just stand with a couple who is completely infatuated with each other. It wasn't such a nice feeling, to be honest…

Gohan whispered something to Videl's ear, who in turn giggled and blushed like a schoolgirl.

"Not _now_ – at least wait until we're alone," she protested to whatever Gohan suggested. Erasa didn't know what the big deal was, with how freely they had been displaying their affection for each other in the past ten minutes.

"Heh, who cares?" grinned Gohan, a mischievous glint in his eyes, while Videl's widened slightly and her blush deepened.

And to Erasa's great surprise, the tall boy simply lifted his girlfriend's chin and bent down to kiss her lips, completely uncaring that the people around them were staring.

As the initial shock wore off, Erasa smirked to herself. Well, that explained a lot. She turned and walked away, heading to her classroom, deciding that she wouldn't be missed. Class would be starting soon anyway.

So the kiss issue between Videl and Gohan was resolved, huh. Perhaps Gohan "being an idiot" had something to do with that for that matter, mused the pretty blonde. Little did she know how close to the truth she really was.

A few minutes after she sat in class, Sharpner turned up, a look of utter disgust wrinkling his young features as he settled down in his usual seat, a chair away from Erasa.

"Ugh," he groaned, much to Erasa's amusement, for she suspected she knew the very reason for the fellow blonde's morose mood.

"I take it you saw our little lovebirds," she teased, laying her cheek on her palm.

"Ugh, don't remind me. They've been acting disgustingly lovey-dovey – it's sickening!"

 _Bingo_ , thought the pretty blonde with a triumphant smirk. "Hard to believe Videl pretty much ran away from Gohan just yesterday, huh?"

"Tell me about it!" Sharpner exclaimed indignantly. "And now, did you look at them? Acting all sweet and sugary, and, and – even kissing in public! What's up with that?! Spare me that sight! Ugh."

"Aww, but at least they're happy. We can't blame them for being soooo in _love_ with each other," Erasa giggled.

"Spare me. It's bad enough Videl's tastes for guys are so bad she didn't even choose _me_ , now I also have to see them make out?" Sharpner sneered in contempt. "Ugh. This just sucks."

"I thought you were over Videl? Don't you have a date this Friday for that matter?" she reminded him, raising an eyebrow.

"Doesn't mean I wanna _see_ them exchanging saliva. Ugh, the images… Can't unsee…"

Erasa stifled a laugh, and reached over to pat her friend on his shoulder. "Poor you."

"Got that right," he grumbled under his breath.

"Well, they're still in the new relationship stage, so naturally they're all over each other now." reasoned Erasa. "But that stage never lasts long, don't worry."

His eyes lit up in hope. "You promise?"

"Well…" Erasa gave a nervous smile. "I can't guarantee it, now can I?"

Sharpner groaned and buried his head in his arms, completely dejected. Erasa laughed in her hand. She would almost feel sorry for the guy if his reactions weren't so totally hilarious.

ooOoo

The bell rang, and Gohan let out a dejected sigh as he detached himself from his girlfriend, and they proceeded to walk together to class. Glancing at her, Gohan couldn't help feeling amused at the sight of the bright, crimson blush streaked across her face. Oh, how he loved seeing those shy moments of hers – she was just too adorable for words.

It was funny how the tables seemed to have turned between them. The more they spent time together and grew closer, the more confident Gohan was becoming around Videl, while Videl, on the other hand, seemed to become more and more shy with him.

"Still can't believe you just kissed me in the middle of the hallway… Everyone was staring," she mumbled, still not looking at him. Gohan gave her hand a squeeze.

"You do realize I would've had to wait for _at least_ two hours before we could be alone? I didn't want to wait that long – I _couldn't_ wait that long."

"You could have waited anyway…" she muttered half-heartedly.

Man, Gohan really wished they didn't have to go to class right now. School couldn't be farther from his mind in this moment: he just wanted to pull Videl to him and hold her close, breathe her in… and kiss her some more. He wished he never had to stop kissing her perfect, beautiful, delicious lips… He was so completely addicted to kissing Videl.

They arrived in their classroom and went up their usual row. Alas, they had to let go of each other's hand in order to sit down, on either side of Erasa. Right now, switching seats with the blonde didn't look like a bad idea at all… If only it meant he could breathe in Videl's beautiful, fruity scent during class…

So what if he might get too distracted by his gorgeous girlfriend sitting right next to him?

The teacher started the lecture soon after, and Gohan was doing his best to focus. After all he couldn't allow his grades to drop – lest he gave his mother an excuse to forbid him from dating Videl. No way he was ever letting that happen. Nuhuh. Now that he'd experienced what it was like to be with the girl of his dreams there was no way he was ever letting her go. He loved her way too much.

Glancing her way, Gohan wondered if it would be too soon to already tell her these famous three words. Videl met his gaze then and cracked a smile, a cute blush tinting her cheeks, and Gohan felt a rush of adoration for the beautiful girl. He was so completely in love with her, it wasn't even funny. His chest gave a painful pang as he smiled back at her.

He always thought it to be kind of strange how his feelings for her could actually be physically painful at times – most of the time, really.

She stuck her tongue out to him and chuckled softly, turning back to the teacher. Gohan reluctantly did the same, wishing that class was over for the day already. To think this was only the first class of the day… At least the break was two hours away. Two _long_ hours… until they could finally be alone…

He grinned to himself, hiding his flushed face behind his History book.

Those two hours really could not pass fast enough. He couldn't wait to finally have time alone with Videl…

He glanced at her again, still behind his book. _I love you_ , he thought to himself. The boy let out a dreamy sigh, resting his cheek on his arm. _I love you so, so much, Videl, you really have no idea…_

ooOoo

Vide was truly discovering a whole new side to Gohan. The way he had pulled her against his rock hard body, the way his hand tilted her head backward, his fingers playing with a few strands on her neck – and his mouth… oh God, his kisses… Gone were the shy first kisses they had shared last night. Gohan had become more confident, more eager and impatient; he'd become bolder, and more assertive. His touch was no longer hesitant… And, God, the way he touched her…

His lips were going down her throat now, and Videl's breath hitched. Ah, why did this feel so freaking good? How was she ever going to do without him now? How smart of this boy, making himself become totally essential in her life. Well, now he was stuck with her. No way around it anymore.

She let out a small yelp when his hand cupped her breast, and Gohan immediately pulled away, a bright blush forming across his cheeks as he looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry," he said softly, slightly breathless.

Videl didn't say anything, but simply pulled Gohan's collar to her and planted her lips on his. With her other hand she took his much bigger one, and guided it to her chest.

"You just surprised me," she whispered against his mouth. "So, if you want to… I'm okay with it."

Gohan pulled away slightly to look her in the eye, but then he heaved a sigh. "I think we should… take things slow, you know?" he said with obvious reluctance, removing his hand. "We only had our first kiss last night after all."

At that, Videl just rolled her eyes. "As you wish, but personally I think you're just being silly with this 'going slow' thing."

He chuckled, and tucked a few strands from her forehead, bending down to kiss her lips again. "Maybe so… But I might really lose it if we go too far too fast."

To his great pleasure, Videl turned completely red. "S-Stupid! Don't just say things like that out of the blue!""

Gohan laughed, and leaned over to nibble on the crook of her neck, his hands moving to her hips and pulling her closer against him.

"It's your own fault," he breathed to her ear, making the pretty girl shiver slightly. "You drive me completely crazy, Videl."

She flushed right away, and then let out a soft sigh as Gohan started nipping on her earlobe.

"There you are!" came the sudden interruption. "Oh my gosh get a room, you two!"

The hormone driven teens instantly pulled away, flushing brightly in embarrassment, as Erasa hurried towards them from the corner of the deserted corridor.

"Erasa! What the hell!" yelled Videl, flustered and upset by the intrusion.

"Sorry I interrupted you guys, but you gotta see this! This is _bad_." Videl arched an eyebrow as her best friend handed her a gossip magazine. "Look, it's the front page!" Erasa said in distress. "I bet it's someone from school – it has to be! It's illegal for paparazzi to follow you around as long as you're a minor."

It was them. The two of them, kissing – from this very morning! How could the photograph already be published in this crappy excuse for a magazine when it was only lunchtime?

"Videl Satan and Her Boyfriend. The Famous Savior's Daughter Must Have a Thing for Brains… Huh," read Gohan out loud, scratching his hair uneasily.

"Well, you kinda do," joked Erasa, but a glare from Videl and her face fell.

"This isn't a joke, Erasa – this is terrible! My _father_ is gonna see this and then… Oh, God, what am I gonna do…? There's _no_ way he'd ever agree to let me have a boyfriend!" Videl felt like pulling her hair. This was a _disaster_!

"Not to mention you're not supposed to date anyone who can't beat him…" Erasa added with a wince. "I feel sorry for you, sweetie," she added to Gohan.

But the boy in question simply raised his eyebrows. Was that all? If he beat Videl's dad in a fight he could keep dating her? Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Surely Videl was aware of that, right?

 _Man,_ he thought. _I forgot again to tell her more about me. She's too distracting!_

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he said shrugging his shoulders, taking Videl's hand in his and flashing her a reassuring smile. "Your father's bound to like me. I'm adorable, you said so yourself remember?" he added with a grin.

"I wish it were so simple, Gohan…" she sighed with a worried smile.

"Oh, come on, he can't be that bad. I'm sure as soon as your dad sees just how much I care about you he would understand. Wouldn't he?"

"I really don't think so," Videl said, shaking her head. "My father's just too overprotective. There's no way he'd let me keep dating you…"

"I know what an overprotective parent is like, trust me; I can deal with him," Gohan assured.

"He might not see the magazine?" offered Erasa weakly, and Videl gave her a half-hearted smile as a thank you.

"I wish… This sucks," sighed Videl. "What are we gonna do?"

The bell rang then, leaving her question unanswered.

"Don't worry," Gohan whispered to her ear as they walked back to class. "I'll kick his ass if I have to – I will never let anything come between us."

Videl smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Gohan. It does reassure me that you're, you know… The Great Saiyaman," she finished in a very low tone.

He grinned. "That's right. Speaking of which, there's more I need to tell you, Videl, but I keep forgetting with… you know, all the… distractions."

And there it was again, that adorable blush. Videl smiled sheepishly. "Okay. Let's do something after school then – I'd rather delay going home today anyway…"

Gohan chuckled, and bent over to kiss her cheek. "Everything's going to be fine, I promise, okay?"

And finally, a genuine smile curved her beautiful lips. Ah, what he wouldn't do to see her smile like that all the time…


	14. Distractions

"It's such a nice day out," said Gohan, looking at the blue sky while breathing in deeply. Although the city air wasn't as pure as back home, in the mountains, he'd always loved being outdoors. It felt good.

He turned to his girlfriend, who didn't seem to have heard him. Her eyebrows were knitted together in obvious worry, her blue eyes turned away from him and staring aimlessly in the distance. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was worrying the raven-haired beauty, and Gohan smiled to himself, giving her hand a squeeze in hopes of getting her attention. Her hand squeezed back almost instantly, like an instinct, even though Videl still didn't look at him, lost in her own world. Gohan couldn't help grinning. He loved how comfortable they were getting around each other, almost like it was becoming second nature.

But he still hadn't caught Videl's attention. A mischievous smirk curved his lips as an idea formed in his mind. He tugged at her hand, pulling Videl to him in a swift movement and capturing her lips along the way.

It only took her a moment before Videl kissed him back – Gohan grinned against her lips, cupping her cheeks with his hands to angle her head better. He could never get tired of this. Just kissing Videl – it felt unbelievable; it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. He just never seemed to get enough of it. Any excuse was good enough to steal a kiss from his girl – and she certainly didn't seem to mind, either. At all.

Videl chuckled softly as they pulled away, and Gohan let his forehead rest against hers, a wonderful feeling of peace washing over him as he held the girl he loved in his arms.

Who cared if they were standing in the middle of the street, or that the people around them were staring again? Gohan never would've thought he'd be the kind of person who wouldn't care being the center of attention, given his shy nature – but he really could not care less. He simply couldn't help himself – every time, he just had to kiss Videl. He honestly had no idea how he could ever live without this feeling now.

"Did you need something?" Videl asked playfully, her breath tickling his cheeks.

"Just wanted to cheer you up," he grinned. "How did I do?"

"Hmm…" she mocked a thoughtful tone, although her lips were stretched from ear to ear. "I give you a nine out of ten."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Only nine? Not ten?"

"Uhuh," she nodded. "There was only one thing."

"I'm open to criticism."

"Well…" Her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him closer. "It just didn't last nearly long enough."

"Oh, well, if it's only that…" he murmured, leaning in slowly, brushing her nose with his. "That can be easily corrected."

Man, things couldn't be more perfect between him and Videl – he'd never felt more alive and _happy_ in his whole life.

But there was still something he needed to do… If only he could keep his head straight long enough to do so.

"You keep distracting me, Videl…" he whispered breathlessly against her lips. He could feel her grin through the kiss.

"You started it," she retorted playfully.

"I did," he chuckled, his thumb stroking her jaw. "And I'm not complaining. It's just, there's a lot that I really need to tell you, so we should really get going."

"Mm," she acquiesced, but her body seemed to disagree, and her lips kept moving against him, in a way that made Gohan forget what he was saying a moment ago.

Gah… This was so frustrating! Why did they have to stop kissing, anyway?

Ah. Right. His secrets. He really needed to tell Videl as soon as possible.

"Let's find a place where we can talk in private," Gohan forced himself to say, finally detaching from Videl, and mentally commanding himself _not_ to lean in again and devour her luscious lips.

"Hmm… Then how about the park?" she suggested, smiling up at him.

Gohan refrained from taking her beautiful face between his hands despite his irrepressible, demanding urge to close the distance and just – he shook his head sharply, trying to clear his mind. The teen contented himself with a quick peck on her cheek. Her pleased smile and blushing cheeks made him grin.

"Let's go, then," he said softly, interlacing their fingers together.

ooOoo

… This was just impossible – she was distracting him _again_!

They had gotten to the local park something like twenty minutes ago, but instead of talking to her to finally get his secrets off his chest… Gohan just couldn't help it! He was so weak. He just loved kissing Videl too much – and they were completely alone, in a secluded part of the park, under the shade of a tree – seriously, how could he resist the temptation? What was he supposed to do, _not_ kiss her in such a perfect opportunity? Yes, he probably should have, in fact, but for the life of him he had been just unable to do otherwise. When they sat under that tree side by side, and Gohan had turned to Videl to start speaking – he found himself pulling her to him again instead and kissing her hungrily.

He was such a hopeless case. At this rate he would still be trying to talk to Videl about him in the next _months_ – in plural! But he just… He… He just couldn't let go. Videl was lying under him, her soft curves pressed up to his muscular frame in such a perfect, delicious way. And her lips… God, he could write a book about her lovely lips. No matter how hard Gohan tried, he simply could not stop kissing Videl.

Heh, screw it. He was enjoying himself too much; he'd just tell her later, once his thirst for her was quenched. If that was at all possible.

She sighed his name, her slender fingers playing with his thick locks. Gohan felt a strong tug below his navel, burning through his whole body. He pulled back from her lips slightly, still hovering inches from her. He was completely breathless, and Videl was panting heavily, too. He watched her through glazed, half-lidded eyes; her flushed cheeks, her swollen, parted lips, her heaving chest…

" _If you want to, I'm okay with it,"_ she had said earlier, without a second thought. Well, right this moment Gohan was pretty much losing his mind – his trousers had never felt tighter – and _yes_ ; yes, he wanted to. He wanted her. All of her. All to himself. He wanted her so freaking much, it was killing him to hold back.

And he didn't want to hold back. He wanted Videl. His mind was going crazy with lust. He wanted Videl. More of Videl. More of her delicious taste, of her smooth skin, of her curvy body. He craved for her – so bad.

Screw the consequences. He couldn't think straight right now. The only thing he was capable of registering as how frigging much he wanted to touch Videl.

"Are you still okay with it?" he panted, breathless. His reason and respect for Videl was forbidding him to do anything without her full consent. "Can I touch you?"

She smirked. "Whatever happened to your 'taking things slow' crap?" she teased.

"I just…" he leaned his forehead against hers, moving his hands to her hips, pulling her closer. "God, I'm going mad, Videl," he groaned. "You drive me completely mad. I never… I've never felt this way before… Gah, I just want you so much right now. I think I'm gonna lose it and just…"

"Yes?" she breathed out, wrapping one leg around his waist.

That little devil…

"Don't tease me, Videl. I'm really going to lose it," he pleaded, burying his nose in the crook of her neck.

"But teasing you is the best part," she said in a mock innocent tone. Gohan could actually _hear_ her grin.

"Oh, really now?"

With vengeance, Gohan attacked her neck with kisses, licks, nips… and then he found a particularly tender spot, and Videl let out a sudden moan. Grinning against her neck, Gohan proceeded with suckling on the skin, intent on leaving a mark. That ought to teach her.

Videl moaned and panted as he worked on her neck – and then she let out a gasp: his hands had found her breasts. Gohan cupped them, giving a light squeeze, and rubbed his hands softly over the fabric of her shirt. It felt… amazing. Then, his mouth detached from her skin with a smacking sound, and he licked the hickey teasingly, his hand giving her soft mounds another squeeze, reveling in the way Videl suddenly sucked in a breath at his touch. He looked at her, hovering just above her lips, and watched with delight how his hands on her chest was making her react. Her eyes were tightly shut, her face was flushed, and she was panting heavily, even biting down on her lip to refrain from moaning.

"Oh God… G… Gohan… Shit, what are you doing to me? Haaa…"

If there was ever an erotic sound… This was it, right here and now. Videl's moaning voice. It was the most arousing sound Gohan'd ever heard.

Ugh, his pants felt tighter than ever…

"Who's teasing who now, hm?" he whispered to her ear, leaving trails of kisses along her neckline.

Was he going too far? He wondered idly, watching with satisfying pleasure as the redness on Videl's face deepened at his words. Probably. _Definitely_ , his mind whispered faintly, but the drumming of his heart, and the craving for the girl lying below him were screaming too loudly for him to hear his reasoning properly.

And he still craved for more. Nothing seemed to be enough to satiate him, and the weak part of Gohan, his brain, was seriously worried that he was really going to lose it and just take Videl, right there and then, under that tree. His body certainly responded positively to that perspective…

Gah… He just wanted her so bad. He was going mad with desire – utterly mad. He needed her – _now._

But – Gohan suddenly shut his eyes tightly and clenched his jaw, trying to get a hold of himself. He rolled to the side, his mind actually winning what had appeared to be a losing battle, and lied on the grass next to his temptress.

"I think I might be going insane," he muttered to himself, trying to calm down his fluttering heart and the burning lust for his gorgeous girlfriend. He lay his arm over his forehead, covering his sight, desperately struggling for control over his raging hormones.

"You okay?" came Videl's worried voice, though with a hint of amusement. Gohan gulped, sensing her body just above him, her pigtails lightly brushing his torso.

Too close. She was way too close. He was never going to calm down if she kept getting closer, her body heat invading his personal space…

 _Do not move,_ he ordered himself mentally. _Whatever you do, you must not move an inch._

"Not really," he sighed, keeping his arm over his eyes, for safety. "I'm just way too attracted to you, Videl. The chemistry between us is too much. I think I'm going to keep my eyes closed for now, so that seeing you won't make me go crazy again."

Videl laughed. "Oh, you're adorable. Silly Gohan, you're allowed to lose control with me, you know. I really wouldn't mind…" She whispered the last part to his ear, and Gohan felt a shiver run down his spine in a very pleasant way.

This was torture. He groaned – how was he ever going to calm down – _especially down there_ – if Videl wouldn't quit teasing him? Gohan turned to the side, away from his devilish girlfriend, his arm moving to cover the side of his head. He kept his eyes tightly shut.

Videl seemed to find his predicament very amusing; she moved closer to him, pressing her chest to his back, her fingers running along his side as she called his name sensually. Gohan swallowed. Hard. She was so mean. Didn't she see how much he was struggling here? Didn't she realize how close he was to turning around and ripping her clothes off, and… and…

"Videl, please, give me a few minutes to cool down, I'm begging you," he groaned, his voice hoarse with lust.

"But you're so cute when you're flustered, my dear little Gohan…" she giggled, clearly not done teasing him yet.

"Videl… I swear to you, if you keep this up I am going to jump you right here, right now, in this park."

That did the trick. Was it his tone, his choice of words, or the desperation and urgency in his voice? Whichever it was, Videl froze for a moment after he spoke, and then finally moved back, much to Gohan's relief, as some distance now separated their bodies. Maybe he'd _actually_ be able to cool down now.

"S-Sorry… I didn't realize it was that bad," she mumbled, sounding flustered, and Gohan smirked with vengeance. At last, the tables had turned.

He let out a sigh, waited a few moments, and then finally sat up and turned around, meeting Videl's shy glance with a gentle smile, seeing her twiddling her thumbs uneasily as she smiled back awkwardly. His body hadn't quite cooled down yet, but he didn't want to worry his girlfriend – as much as she would deserve it after the torture she'd just put him through.

"I'm really sorry," she apologized again, looking up at him sheepishly. "I really didn't think you were… you know."

Her face flushed brightly, and Gohan grinned, reveling in her embarrassment. "Well, what did you expect? I'm still just a guy, you know."

He chuckled as she started fumbling for words. He reached over to touch her hand, which was on her knee. She met his gaze again, and he kissed her cheek, ever so softly.

"Don't worry, I can control myself," he said softly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Besides, we're nowhere near _there_ yet, obviously."

"Well I…" She paused, then shook her head sharply, as if to discard her previous thought. "Never mind. You're right. I went a little too far with teasing you, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he smiled gently, tucking a few raven strands behind her ear. She smiled back, looking relieved. His thumb lingered along her jaw. "You're beautiful."

Dang, he wanted to kiss her again. _No, Gohan, control yourself. That's it. Just don't give in, and you'll be fine._

"You're quite handsome, yourself," she said with a grin, and Gohan blushed slightly.

"Err… Thanks," he said awkwardly, not used at all to that kind of compliment coming from Videl.

She chuckled. "So, anyways," she started then. "Weren't you supposed to tell me something important?"

ooOoo

Bulma observed her long time friend's absent expression, wondering why Chichi looked so down. The laughter of the kids could be heard in the background; Goten and Marron were playing with Trunks today. But while the sound of the children's joy would usually be enough to cheer the mother up, it didn't seem to do the trick this time.

"Something wrong, Chichi?" Krillin asked, obviously also noticing the dark-haired woman's gloomy mood. She let out a deep, dramatic sigh, her eyes staying on her cup of tea in her hands.

Bulma frowned. Something was definitely up.

"It's just…" Chichi started, but then sighed again. "Never mind. It's silly."

"Now Chichi, don't leave us hanging like that," Bulma pressed, crossing her arms over the kitchen table. "Tell us."

"It's Gohan," Chichi finally answered.

" _Of course,"_ Bulma saw Krillin mouth to her with a knowing grin.

"He called to say he'd be late today. Again. He's with his girlfriend."

"Hang on," Krillin cut in suddenly. " _Gohan_ has a girlfriend and nobody ever thought of _telling me_?"

"You'd just start making fun of him again," Bulma pointed out.

"Well, _duh._ "

The blue-haired scientist rolled her eyes at the grown man's childish antics. "You're still sore about him blurting out that you loved Eighteen all those years ago? Didn't that help you get her in the end for that matter?"

"That's not the point, Bulma," explained Krillin in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's an eye for an eye. Gohan made me look like a fool, so I must do the same to him for the rest of his life. That's how it works."

"You do realize how juvenile you sound right now?"

"Yeah, well –"

"Guys," Chichi cut in sternly, her strict mother instinct kicking in as she frowned at the two older adults bickering like little brats. "Quit it."

These simple words were enough to shut them up, and both Bulma and Krillin smiled in apology to Chichi. The woman had always been intimidating.

"So, Gohan's spending time with his girlfriend," resumed Bulma, picking up the conversation where it had left off. She took a sip of her coffee. "Is that a bad thing? Are his grades dropping?"

"No," Chichi shook her head. "He's still bringing home top grades."

"Is she a bad influence or something? Is that what you're worried about?" questioned Krillin.

"I wouldn't know… Gohan's not told me a thing about her, and yet he's really serious about this relationship. Last night, after dinner, he simply took off to the city in the middle of studying, and I know he went to see her."

"How can you be sure?" Krillin asked doubtfully.

"He's right," agreed Bulma. "He could've just gone out for a breath of fresh air, right?"

"For over two hours? He had no regard for how worried I'd been while he was gone… Just taking off like that, without saying anything… He hasn't done anything like that for years."

"Ah, right. He used to sneak away to play all the time when he was little, huh?" recalled the short man.

"I thought those times were over," lamented Chichi, her shoulders hunching in dejection. "He's grown into such a mature and responsible young man… But this girl, whoever she is, is turning his head upside down. He's too smitten with her to care about anything else… Oh, I wish he were a baby again… You guys are lucky your kids have a long way before they're old enough for love."

"You still have Goten," offered Bulma with a sympathetic smile.

Chichi's eyes turned to the three children, playing on the floor with toys some distance from the adults, and a wishful smile formed on her lips as she watched them. "Gohan was never as carefree at their age," she said softly.

"Yeah, I remember…" said Krillin, scratching his hair as he also turned to the kids. "He saved my life more times than I could count when we were on Namek… and against the Saiyans… I could never get over how young he really was."

"Maybe it's a good thing, him doing normal stuff like having a girlfriend," reasoned Bulma. "Especially for Gohan."

"I know," Chichi conceded with a sigh. "And he really is happy."

"Then why the sad eyes?" Krillin asked with a kind smile. "If he's happy, it's all good, right?"

"I still wish he'd tell me more about that girl. Maybe you guys could get him to open up about her?" she then asked hopefully.

"Sure," smiled Bulma, reaching over to hold Chichi's hand.

"Yeah, no problem," agreed Krillin with a grin. "I guess he'd be embarrassed talking about his love life to his mom, huh?"

"I suppose so," nodded Chichi with yet another sigh.

A robot then floated to them, carrying a stack of envelopes. "The mail's here, Miss Bulma," it said in a cheerful, girly voice.

"That robot doesn't sound like a robot at all," chuckled Krillin, as the mail was placed on the table before Bulma, and the robot floated away with an enthusiastic wave of its metallic hand.

"That's my dad's doing, he loves playing with their programs," explained Bulma, taking a sip of her cup as she browsed through the stack of envelopes and magazines.

And then she froze, her hand stopping on one of her mother's subscripted gossipy trash magazine, _Closer_.

"Oh my God…" she mumbled in shock.

"Something the matter?" Chichi asked, taking a sip from her tea.

"Well… I think I might know why Gohan hasn't said much about his girlfriend," Bulma said, unable to take her eyes off of the front page.

"What do you mean?" Krillin asked, getting up to go around the table, and looked over her shoulder at the magazine she was holding – his jaw dropped.

"What? What is it?" Chichi frowned, standing up as well to see what all the fuss was about. How could a front page be related to her precious boy, anyway – _oh_.

"Is that…?" Krillin started, but his voice trailed off as his eyes nervously turned to the mother of two half-Saiyans.

"Videl Satan and Her Boyfriend…" Chichi read out loud, still in shock of what she was seeing. Why was a picture of Gohan in a gossip magazine? Why was her boy kissing that girl? That horrible man's daughter… How could Gohan fall for the daughter of the clown who always badmouthed Goku? Mr. Satan, the fraud who had shamelessly stolen the credit of Gohan's hardest and greatest accomplishment, and who got so wealthy in doing so, too – if it hadn't been for her Gohan, for that matter, Chichi would have long taught that despicable man a well-deserved lesson. She would love to give him a piece of her mind, too.

"Now, Chichi, you can't judge her from her father's action," reasoned Bulma wisely, obviously figuring what her friend was thinking about. "She's most likely nothing like him, anyway – after all Gohan's crazy about her, right?"

"She certainly looks nothing like him. Thank God, too," commented Krillin, browsing through the pages of the magazines where more photos of the couple were printed. "Look at this one – she's actually super pretty. Gohan's got good tastes, just like Goku, huh?"

"And they look really happy together," added Bulma.

Chichi stared at the photos some more, her brow tightly furrowed. And then she collapsed on a chair next to Bulma, bursting in tears.

" _My baby's kissing a girl_!" she wailed, burying her face in her crossed arms.

Krillin and Bulma shared a look, smiling at the woman's antics.

"Figures. _That'_ s what hit her the hardest?" whispered Krillin to his blue-haired friend, and they shared a quiet laugh at the overprotective mother's expense.

ooOoo

Gohan didn't quite know where to begin. Facing Videl now, the words had trouble coming out. But he absolutely had to say it. And not later, either – right now. There was no backing out of it, no more distractions, no more excuses. He had to tell her everything.

"Okay…" he started slowly, trying to phrase what he needed to say. "You know I'm Saiyaman."

"Uhuh," nodded Videl, smiling at the mention of his superhero alter-ego. "Oh, are you the Gold Fighter, too?"

Gohan blinked. He shouldn't be surprised that Videl figured it out – the girl was too cunning for her own good. Although, right now, her cleverness was really helping him get this out.

"I am, yes…" he admitted sheepishly, scratching his hair. "I only created Saiyaman because you were so suspicious, actually."

Videl chuckled. "Ironic, huh?"

Gohan grinned. This was going well so far.

"So that means…" she wondered hesitantly. "At the Cell Games…"

He gaped at her. _Wow…_

"I… I really… I never expected you to figure _that_ out."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Really? A boy your age, with supernatural strength, who can fly, and has spiky golden hair? I didn't realize there were so many guys like that running around. It wasn't that hard connecting the dots."

He cracked a smile. "I guess when you put it like that… Still, I'm impressed."

Videl chuckled. But then she turned serious. "So you really were the boy at the Cell Games, huh."

Gohan nodded cautiously. This was where it would get tricky. He wished he wasn't the one telling her that her father had lied to the world – he believed it was something Mr. Satan had to do, but the boy didn't have a choice. He would have to tell her himself – it was one of his biggest secrets, after all.

"Did my dad… I mean, that's a stupid question…" she mumbled, fumbling with her words. "I should know, more than anyone, that my dad is nowhere near Cell's level."

And again, Gohan found himself gaping at his girlfriend. Of course, his surprise was misplaced. Videl was one of the cleverest people he knew – including Bulma and her dad – but he really wouldn't have thought that she had seen through her own father's lies.

"So you… you knew all along…?" Gohan asked softly, his hand moving in its own accord, brushing away her bangs from her eyes.

"Not all along," Videl said, smiling sadly. "I always had my suspicions, sure… But when you first appeared – as Saiyaman, I mean. When I saw that nothing you did was a 'trick'. When I saw how strong you were, and everything you could do… My dad could never measure up to that, so how could he have defeated Cell 'in one single blow', like he always pretended? There was just no way…"

His hand was cupping her cheek now, his thumb stroking her chin. "How do you feel about that? About your dad."

"I'm mad at him, to an extent – but at the same time, I don't know. I always thought, if the one who actually killed Cell was upset about my dad taking the credit, they would've long come forth and claimed it back, you know? So I thought, they'd probably rather stay anonymous and didn't really mind."

Gohan smiled, and readied himself for what he was about to say.

"You know me well."

Videl's lips parted. She seemed speechless for a moment, and then she uttered breathlessly. "You…?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that was me all along. Funny how things turn out, huh?"

She blinked. "Wow… And you were so young…"

Giving in to temptation, Gohan pulled Videl to him and wrapped his arms around her, reveling in the feeling of having the girl he loved so close against him.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you, Videl," he murmured anxiously into her hair. "And it's what worries me the most."

"How come?" she asked softly, snuggling up to him and closing her eyes.

"Because it might freak you out and drive you away from me," he whispered, his arms tightening around her.

"Nonsense," she said simply, raising her head to meet his gaze. "Nothing you could say would ever drive us apart. I'm positive about it. One hundred percent."

He took a deep breath, and gave a nervous smile. "Even if I told you I was only half human?"

Her eyebrows raised. That was all. It was the only reaction she had to his biggest secret of all. Gohan felt his throat tighten in anticipation. What was she going to say?

"Um, that much was obvious, Gohan."

This certainly wasn't what he'd expected.

"I mean, the things you're able to do… And you apparently can change your hair color at will. I mean, sure, I couldn't figure out the "half-half" part – I'm guessing you get it from your dad? Since he was at the Cell Games, too. But, yeah, I always knew you, as Saiyaman, couldn't be someone normal… Kinda like Clark Kent, you know?"

"And you're…" Gohan swallowed, trying to proceed what he was hearing. "I mean, you don't seem to care…?"

"Why should I?" she said, tilting her head to the side. "You're a hero, Gohan – even more than I'd thought. You actually saved the world, when you were only a kid, too."

"But I… I'm half-alien. My dad's from another planet. Doesn't that freak you out? Not even a little bit?"

"Rather…" She looked thoughtful. "It really just triggers my curiosity. Another planet… That sounds fascinating."

Gohan blinked, and then a large smile tugged at his lips. "Wow, you took it better than I could've ever hoped. You're amazing, Videl."

The raven-haired beauty grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck, her blue eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Tell me more about your alien half."

Gohan felt like a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders. He really never thought Videl would just… brush off the fact that he wasn't completely human, like it was nothing. Like it didn't even matter.

His arms tightened around her.

"My father was from a race called the Saiyans, from planet Vegeta. They are extinct today, but they used to be very proud warriors. The Prince of the Saiyans…"

He spoke about his origins for a long time. And Videl listened avidly, fascinated by this extraordinary story about blood-thirsty warriors, who believed in a legend about a Super Saiyan who appeared every one thousand years… And he soon got to the part about his dad – the greatest man who ever lived. His adventures. The many times he'd saved the world. All the friends he'd made throughout his journey… And how it all started with a four-starred crystal ball and a teenage girl who loved strawberries a little too much.

Videl never interrupted, drinking in his words– dying to know more.

And Gohan had never loved her more than in this very moment.


	15. Parents

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Gohan asked again, his arms tightening around Videl, reluctant to let go of her.

"Yeah, don't worry," she said, though with an uncertain smile. "You'd only add fuel to the fire anyway. And besides, there's still a tiny chance he never saw the magazine."

Gohan sighed, leaning his forehead against hers, unwilling to loosen his hold around his girlfriend to let her climb in her de-capsuled jetcopter. They were still in the park, under that same tree; the sun was setting, and it was getting pretty late – but Gohan didn't want to part with her and go home. Why couldn't he just hold her some more?

The copter waited patiently while the young man relished every precious second he had left with the beautiful girl in his arms; he buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. Ah… The most delicious scent of all…

"Gohan, I really need to get going," Videl giggled, and the boy straightened up to look down at her, cupping her face with both hands.

"Okay," he finally relented, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. And then he closed the distance and planted his lips firmly on hers, kissing her long and deep, letting his mind shut down for a moment as the wonderful sensations washed over him. He moved his hands to her waist, pulling Videl closer against him, while she wrapped her arms around his neck, playing distractedly with his spiky locks, and let out a sigh of content against his lips.

When Gohan finally pulled back, a few stars had appeared in the sky, which was getting darker and darker. Gohan didn't notice; he only saw Videl's striking blue eyes, and her dreamy smile, and her cherry lips that he wanted to kiss again…

But he restrained himself and, finally, let go of her. Videl took a few steps, only to wobble and almost trip on her feet – if it hadn't been for Gohan's quick reflexes, that is. His arms were around her again, and she smiled up at him sheepishly, an adorable blush across her cheeks; her pigtails were falling behind her from the position – her, dipped over and him, towering over her, holding her firmly against him.

"Did I literally sweep you off your feet?" he teased, grinning as he watched her face grow even redder.

"Well, yes, I believe you did," she replied, mock-glaring at him. Gohan chuckled and straightened them both before loosening his hold around her.

"Will you be okay standing by yourself?" he grinned, and Videl rolled her eyes playfully.

"See for yourself."

She walked confidently to the jetcopter and hopped on. Gohan watched her with a pang as she got in the pilot's seat and waved at him. He waved back; the yellow craft took off to the sky, and Gohan was still waving as it flew away; his hand kept moving slowly even when it disappeared into the horizon. After some time, Gohan sighed to himself and took off to the sky – that part of the park was still deserted, so no one should've been around to see him. Besides, with how dark it was getting even if there'd been someone they had fat chances to make out who he was.

Gohan flew steadily to the mountain areas, his mind and heart still full of Videl's presence. His grin was back in a heartbeat, and his speed increased. He just couldn't believe how lucky he was. Since telling her about Saiyaman, everything was going so great between him and Videl. And to think, he really had nothing to worry about concerning his secrets, the clever girl had pretty much already figured it all by herself! His grin widened. Clever – that, she sure was. He loved that about Videl. She was amazing.

And she was only for him.

His speed increased again, along with the beating of his heart – he could barely contain his joy. He probably should worry about Videl's father's reaction, or even how his own mother was going to react when she found out for that matter, but really, after everything he and Videl just went through, Gohan couldn't imagine that anything could get in their way now. The bond they shared was stronger than ever, and Gohan believed that as long as they stood by each other, they could face anything together.

And besides, what was Mr. Satan going to do to him? Videl's father or not, if it came down to it, and if Mr. Satan really was against Videl and him being together, Gohan wasn't going to let that happen. He hoped he wouldn't have to actually fight the man, but if that was what it took, Gohan was ready to do anything to be with Videl. He would even turn Super Saiyan to show Mr. Satan who he was dealing with, if that was the only way. He was _not_ going to let anything keep him from being with the girl he loved.

 _Love_ , he repeated the word in his head. _I love Videl._

He felt a sense of peace wash over him as once again, he admitted it to himself. His love for Videl… It felt so strong – it was overflowing, it begged to burst out, and Gohan felt the urge to let it. So, for the first time, he tried saying it out loud.

"I love Videl."

Looking at the night sky wistfully, he pictured her beautiful smile and said it again, the corners of his lips widening. "I love you, Videl. I love you!"

He laughed in pure joy, tearing through the sky faster and faster. Before he knew it, he was already home. Gohan barely paused when he landed by the front door and burst in, almost breaking the door off its hinges.

"Gohan! What do you think you're–" Chichi started yelling, but she was cut off by her overjoyed son picking her up and twirling her around.

"Mom! I'm going to tell her!" Gohan laughed. He couldn't contain his excitement – he had to let it out! "I'm going to tell her I love her!"

He let go of Chichi and she wobbled on her feet slightly. Goten ran to his brother with a big grin and his arms up, signaling that he wanted to be twirled around too. Gohan readily complied and the little boy laughed in glee, his arms outstretched to mimic a plane.

Chichi stood there, watching her boys playing and laughing, seeing Gohan happier than she'd ever seen him… and she smiled in resignation, her shoulders slumping slightly. She had lost the battle before it even began. In the end, Gohan's happiness was all that mattered, and that girlfriend of his was obviously good for him. Chichi sighed deeply. Ah, well. She would let it slide for now.

ooOoo

Videl stood before the tall gates surrounding the luxurious mansion, growing more and more nervous. She knew the late hour wasn't going to be in her favor, especially if her father was waiting on her, and she was almost completely sure that he'd seen the photos, one way or another. She wouldn't be surprised if they were all over the media by now, so there was no way Mr. Satan could have missed it.

She groaned, and proceeded to unlock the gates. This sucked. She knew she should have been more careful, and she had meant to keep her relationship with Gohan a secret in the beginning, but with the whole thing in the school's yard and her blurting out her feelings to Gohan in frustration in front of everyone, there didn't seem to be a point to sneak around at that point. And besides, since she was still only sixteen years old and a minor, she was supposed to be safe from paparazzi. She hadn't accounted for the kids at school. Someone had taken the shots and sold them to the highest bidder, and Videl felt profound hatred for the bastard who was responsible for the mess she was in.

She walked along the white-stoned pathway towards the oak front door, passing the numerous statues representing Mr. Satan in various victorious poses. She stopped at the door, and took a deep breath, gathering her courage. Whatever happened, she had to endure it and get it over with. This was bound to happen eventually after all, wasn't it? She couldn't have hidden Gohan from her dad forever, as much as she wished she could. She just had to be strong and stand her ground, no matter what. If Gohan could muster the courage to reveal to her all of his secrets, then surely she could confront her father about having a boyfriend, right?

Thinking about Gohan gave her some strength, and Videl smiled slightly to herself. She unlocked the front door and cautiously stepped inside the mansion. The heavy oak door clicked shut behind her as, right before her, a teary-eyed Mr. Satan rushed her, clutching some rolled-up glossy paper in his fist. She froze.

"It's not true, right!?" the grown man bawled in desperation, grabbing both her shoulders though still holding the crumpled pages. "Someone touched up the photos, right? It's Photoshop – that's it, right? Just a bunch of tricks! It can't be you with that scrawny kid! You don't have a boyfriend, right? You don't! You can't! Tell me it's not true, Videl!"

Her throat was dry and she tried to swallow. She was put on the spot and she felt trapped by her father's panicked sputter and blatant denial. Videl opened her mouth, tried to say something, but the desperate blue eyes staring back at her took away her words. She averted her gaze and hung her head in shame, and Mr. Satan took a step back, horror taking over his tanned, ill-shaved face.

"No… My little angel… I can't believe it…" he choked up.

Videl winced as her father started wailing like a baby, the loud shrill ringing in her ears. If she didn't know him so well she would have tried to explain herself, but when Mr. Satan was in such a state there was nothing she could do to calm him down, and her only option was to wait it out.

Heaving out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat – she did just that.

ooOoo

Chichi wanted to bring up the photos from that gossip magazine, but as she watched her two adorable sons happily wolf down the delicious dinner she had cooked, the Son matriarch didn't have the heart to interrupt them and possibly dampen the mood. Still, she told herself that she absolutely had to have a one-on-one with Gohan about his not-so-mysterious girlfriend, and decided to address the matter after dinner. When Goten wouldn't be in the way, too.

The opportunity presented itself while she was washing the dishes: Gohan came up to her side and started helping out without being asked, smiling dreamily as he hummed to himself. Goten, in the meantime, had gone outside to play, as he would often do after dinner. The coast was clear.

"Goten had a playdate at Bulma's today," she started, getting her son's attention. "Krillin brought Marron, too."

His eyes softened. "That's nice."

There was a moment of silence as Chichi averted her gaze, looking down at the plate she was scrubbing. Seeing Gohan in that exceptionally good mood didn't make her want to possibly spoil it. What he said earlier when he got home echoed in her head, and the mother sighed softly, feeling her resolves weaken.

"Is something wrong?" Gohan asked, his head tilted to the side. As she turned to him, Chichi realized that he had run out of soapy dishes to rinse.

"I know you're dating Videl Satan," she blurted out suddenly, watching him carefully. Gohan, however, only smiled in embarrassment, catching himself in time as he almost brought his wet hand up to scratch his head.

"So you saw that magazine too, huh."

"Is that why you wouldn't tell me her name?" Chichi carried on, a frown creasing her forehead. "Did you think I would judge her?"

He blinked several times, then gave a nervous chuckle as he turned off the faucet. "Uh, not really. I just didn't want to give people more reasons to tease me, heh."

Now it was Chichi's turn to blink in surprise. "Oh."

"But you know, she's really nothing like her father – and she's so smart!" His eyes took that particular glint as he talked excitedly about Videl, and Chichi felt her heart tighten slightly at the thought of her baby boy growing up. "Actually, earlier, I was telling her about me but she'd actually figured out almost everything by herself! And she doesn't even mind. _At all._ "

Chichi gaped at her son. _Wait, what?_

"You… told her?" she asked slowly, trying to process that new bit of information. "Everything? Already?"

Gohan gave her a sideway smile as he resumed washing the dishes by himself since his mother was too befuddled by the bomb he just dropped on her to do her part.

He looked down, his eyes softening in such a way that it made her want to cry. "Well, I love her," he admitted quietly. "And when we got together, I made the decision not to hide anything from her. She fights crime too, after all, so she actually interacted with the "Saiyaman" me, and I didn't want to lie to her."

Chichi stood silent for a while, watching as her oldest son kept on his task while she tried to process everything he said. Was it really that serious with that girl? They were only sixteen, they were just kids… Okay, so she wasn't one to talk since she kind of got engaged at twelve, but Gohan… He was her baby. He wasn't ready for that kind of commitment… Was he? Chichi sighed and turned to the sink to finish up the dishes with her son. She knew she could be overprotective, overbearing and unreasonable at times… most of the time, maybe… probably… But with the childhood Gohan had, or didn't have, who could blame her? He was only now starting to have a more normal life – well, kind of; he was still playing the superhero – and like Bulma and Krillin had pointed out, it _was_ a good thing that Gohan was doing stuff his age like having a girlfriend.

She was still wrapping her head around the fact that her son actually found someone he cared so much about that he _told_ her about him. He actually _told_ her.

She really must've been nothing like her father, that Videl Satan. Or perhaps they had misjudged Mr. Satan. If he was the man who raised the girl that Gohan was so completely taken with, he couldn't be all bad, right?

"Well, as long as you keep up your grades," Chichi concluded in a deliberately nonchalant tone as she passed Gohan a glass to rinse. From the corner of her eye, she saw the widest grin stretch out on his lips.

"Of course!" he beamed. She smiled back.

His good mood was infectious.

ooOoo

When Mr. Satan was sort of starting to calm down, yet not quite, Videl took the opportunity to lead his whimpering form past the entrance hall and to the living area. She sat him on the black leather couch and he continued to cry softly into his hands. Videl heaved out a tired sigh and settled down in the adjacent armchair.

And again, she patiently waited for it to pass.

Videl sank lower into the cushion of the chair, her chin pressing on her clavicle. Her father's excessive reaction wasn't the least bit encouraging, but it was to be expected coming from him. He'd always been a bit of a drama queen, wasn't he? She hoped she would be able to reason with him. It would have been easier if she could tell him who Gohan really was – that she was dating the one guy who actually met his conditions – but she'd promised to keep Gohan's secrets. If things got out of hand, Videl supposed that they could tell Mr. Satan as a last resort, that is, if Gohan was okay with it.

She glanced at the weeping grown man and frowned slightly. It was sad to admit that she wasn't all that surprised that her father turned out to have lied to the world, taking the credit for a young boy's accomplishment in the process. Gohan insisted that he didn't care about all that and was actually glad that things ended up the way they did, but the fact remained that the whole world believed a lie and worshiped the wrong hero. She may have had her doubts in the past, but it was different to know it for certain.

Sighing softly, Videl reminded herself that her dad wasn't a bad person. He had helped tons of people with his status and wealth, and after the terror of Cell the world did need a hero to look up to – and Gohan was certainly not up for the job. Although, had he been willing to play the role, he would have been amazing, she thought to herself with a small smile.

She was glad she had been able to keep her own promise to be open-minded about Gohan's revelations. The corner of her lips twitched slightly as she tried to repress a grin that the mere action of thinking about Gohan was provoking – given the current situation with her dad, it wouldn't have been in her best interest to break out in a silly, enamored grin. She pressed her lips together in her attempt to force the smile down, but the fresh memories of the kisses they had shared since last night were making it difficult to keep a straight face. At least Mr. Satan wouldn't be able to tell in his current state, now in a fetal position as he cried to himself on the leather couch.

In retrospect, she felt a bit silly. To think she'd dismissed her first suspicions about Gohan only because she saw him take a punch from some crook – and get up from it without a scratch, come to think about it. She had decided then that he couldn't possibly be Saiyaman, because surely the superhero should have been able to easily handle a couple of petty criminals.

Sure, in the back of her mind, her suspicions had remained, but she was never quite certain what to make of Son Gohan. And when she realized that he liked her, and later developed feelings of her own for the boy, those doubts about him only faded further and further into the back of her mind, far from being a priority.

So, in some way, Gohan had pretty much distracted her from her investigation and her goal to unmask the Great Saiyaman. Her eyes softened as she thought that in the end, she did unmask him herself, though she never expected him to let her do it. Her chest tightened slightly as she imagined how hard it must have been for Gohan to muster up the courage to tell her the truth about him – all the truth – and how he'd struggled to let the words out on several occasions. How could he have expected her to be mad at him, despite the lies, when he really, really tried to do the right thing from the moment they got together? And he went so far as to forbid himself from kissing her so long as he didn't tell her… Thinking back on their numerous, failed first kiss attempts, it all made so much sense now.

She fought down a blush as her thoughts traveled back to their late afternoon in the park, under the tree. Shaking her head swiftly to clear her mind, Videl looked back at her father and squinted to make sure he was finally done crying, even though he was still lying on the couch in a fetal position and hugging himself. Really, he was being overdramatic. Okay, so she had a boyfriend, but it wasn't the end of the world – said boyfriend had prevented that, for that matter.

"Daddy?" she called cautiously, straightening up in her seat. She let out a sigh when he didn't respond, staring blankly ahead of him. "Daddy, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she attempted. "I didn't choose just anyone, you know. He's a great guy." She cracked a smile. "He's the kindest person I've ever known, and I…" She bit down on her lip when Mr. Satan finally sat up and faced her, a scowl creasing his chin and furrowing his brow.

"You know the rules, Videl," he finally said, crossing his arms in a conscious effort to appear intimidating, any trace of his earlier tantrum nearly all gone. "I told you that you can't date unless it's someone who can beat me."

Videl frowned. She knew for a fact that Gohan could easily beat her father in a fight, and he'd even said that he would if he needed to, for that matter, but she made it her mission to protect Gohan's secrets no matter what – even if it _would_ make things much easier to just show her dad who he was really dealing with. But Gohan was trusting her with his extraordinary life story and there was no way she was letting him down.

But the issue remained, and Mr. Satan was actually smirking at her, visibly convinced that he had her with that silly rule of his. Videl frowned deeply, and she was tempted to wipe that smug look off his face by blurting out that she knew the truth about Cell. He was lucky that she cared too much about Gohan to make that mistake.

An idea came to her at that moment, and slowly, a cheeky smile formed on her lips. Oh, she loved loopholes.

"So he has to beat you, right?"

Her father was taken aback by her sudden confidence, and narrowed his eyes at her warily. "I'm the world champion, Videl," he huffed, puffing out his chest – as if he hadn't been crying like a friggin' baby just minutes ago. "You know there's no way anyone could."

Videl shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "He could beat you at chess."


	16. Checkmate

Videl knew she had to play her cards right if she wanted this to work. Her father was a proud man, so if she used his ego against him, she might be able to trick him into agreeing to face Gohan in a chess game. Mr. Satan was actually not a bad player at all, he often enjoyed playing with his business partners or the friends he had in high places. To him, chess was a "classy sport," as he would put it.

But Videl wasn't worried: she knew for a fact that Gohan often played with a friend of his and was excellent at chess – as one should expect from the boy who got perfect scores on the school's entrance exams. There was no way he wouldn't be able to win against her father. Gohan was basically a genius, and Mr. Satan, while not completely useless at the game, was nowhere near good enough to win.

But that was what made this tricky. Videl had to make her father believe that he had a chance to win in order to make it work, but at the same time, she had to make him believe that she didn't think he could win, because why would she make that proposition otherwise?

As he eyed her dubiously, Videl casually arranged her left pigtail, making sure it concealed the hickey Gohan had given her earlier. She had noticed it on the rearview mirror of her jetcopter while she was flying home, but thankfully her hair was conveniently hiding it.

"… Chess?" her father repeated slowly, his brow furrowing further. "What are you talking about, Videl? I obviously meant martial arts! If that _boy_ ," he spat the word in disgust, "wants to be allowed to date you, he has to beat me in a _fight_ , Videl."

Videl lifted her eyes in an exaggerated pensive look, tapping her chin with her forefinger. "Hmm, are you sure? You never made it that clear… Hmm…" She turned her gaze back to Mr. Satan, giving him a sweet smile. "You always said that my boyfriend would have to be "stronger than you" or would need to "beat you," but you never specified that you meant in martial arts." Her smile turned into a smirk. "Did you?"

"This is ridiculous!" Mr. Satan sputtered, standing up abruptly. He pointed his finger at her dramatically. "I obviously meant martial arts! I'm the world champion of martial arts, Videl, so stop playing those games! If your would-be ex-boyfriend can't beat me _in a fight_ , then he's out!"

Videl remained calm, looking up at her father with the same confident smirk. "So you don't think you can beat a high school kid at chess?"

Her lips stretched out further as more outraged sputters came out of his mouth, but this time she knew that she hurt his ego. Just as planned.

"That's not the question! I have no need to play chess with him because the rules are about a martial arts fight, not chess!" he protested again.

"But," Videl stood up and crossed her arms, "you never actually said martial arts, Daddy. And I think Gohan has a good chance at beating you at chess."

Her father huffed and folded his arms as well. "Gohan? What kind of name is _that_? Were his parents hungry when they named him or something?"

She overlooked the snide remark. "Come on, Daddy, it's worth a shot, right? At least give him a chance to prove himself to you. And if he doesn't beat you then we'll break it off. Deal?"

Mr. Satan looked down at the luxurious carpet in deep thought, tapping his foot. Good, he was considering it now. Videl watched him anxiously, trying not to think of what would happen if, by a weird and awful stroke of bad luck, Gohan ended up losing the game and they had to be separated. She pushed those thoughts away and focused back on the present: thinking of what-ifs would accomplish nothing. Besides, Gohan was definitely going to win: she was confident about it.

Seeing the uncertainty and hesitation on her father's face, Videl decided to play her last card.

"Don't you want me to be happy, Daddy?" she asked, her tone softening. He looked up at her, and Videl stared back at him pleadingly, hoping to melt his defenses. "I really, really care about him, and he's honestly the best person I know. Please, Daddy, at least give him a chance. Let him prove to you that he's more than good enough for me."

Hercule heaved a deep, tired sigh. "I don't want you to date anyone, Videl."

She cracked a smile at him. "I know. I didn't want to either, but Gohan's just that great that even _I_ couldn't resist."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't like it, Videl."

A smirk formed on her lips again. "Then beat him at chess."

Silence. Then, "So if I win, you two are over, correct?"

She was bubbling with excitement. It was working! "Yes. But if you lose, I'm allowed to date him. Deal?"

This time she held out her hand to him. Mr. Satan eyed it suspiciously, then lifted his distrustful gaze at her again. He uncrossed his arms, looked at her extended hand again – and, finally, shook it with his own. "Deal."

Videl couldn't help the grin spreading out her lips as she shook her father's hand. Damn, she was good.

ooOoo

Gohan paused and turned his head to his left, his hands staying still inside his locker. He blinked at his grinning girlfriend. Then blinked again. Had he heard her right?

"… Chess?" he repeated slowly, forgetting about his books momentarily as he turned to face her fully.

"You told me you're super good at chess, right?" Videl reminded him. "So it should be no problem for you to beat my dad at chess."

"How on earth did it come to that?" he asked in amused confusion, scratching his hair. "I thought I was going to have to beat him in a fight?"

Videl smiled up at him and stepped closer to him, her hand reaching for his. Her voice lowered. "You trusted me with your secret, so I'm going to do everything I can to keep it for you."

A warm feeling fluttered in his chest. Gohan's features relaxed into a gentle smile as he gazed upon the amazing girl he was lucky enough to love. "But I wouldn't have minded if it was just your father, since you said he had this silly rule to stop you from dating anyone."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I convinced him to have a chess match with you instead. He's actually pretty good at chess, you know, but not enough to beat a genius like you," she finished with a playful grin.

Gohan chuckled, scratching his hair on the back of his head with his spare hand. "How did you ever manage to make him change his rule?"

She gave him a smug look. "I'm just that good."

He laughed softly, shaking his head in amusement. "You sure are." He bent down to kiss her cheek, and when he pulled back, they shared sheepish smiles and sweet looks.

"So when is the chess match taking place?" he asked.

"Today after school. My dad doesn't want to waste any time." She gave him an apologetic smile. "He's really intent on breaking us up."

Gohan frowned at the thought. "Well, I won't let that happen. I can't lose you now, or ever – you've become too precious to me."

Her heart picked up at his words and the seriousness of his eyes. She felt breathless; her gaze lowered to his lips, and Videl had the sudden urge to kiss him. She was, however, a little too self-conscious of their surroundings, so Videl refrained herself from giving in.

"You, too," she breathed out, looking deep into his eyes. "I…" She wanted to say "love," but the girl bit down on her lip to stop herself. It was way too soon in their relationship to drop the _L_ -bomb – they only got together _last week_ , after all. Videl didn't want to scare Gohan off by going too fast. "I won't let him set us apart, no matter what," she said instead. Gohan's features relaxed into a gentle smile, the one she loved so much and always made her melt like ice in the blazing sun. She smiled back at him, staring at him dreamily.

Little did she know her boyfriend had decided to tell her he loved her, whether it was too soon or not. He just couldn't hold it in anymore – Gohan loved Videl with all of his heart, and he wanted her to know it.

But Gohan didn't want to just say it; he wanted the moment to be memorable; he wanted to plan something grand and incredible, to set the perfect atmosphere. He wanted the moment he told Videl those three words to be magical.

He had no idea how he was going to do that yet, but Gohan was intent on making it happen. Most of all, he wanted Videl to feel just how special she was to him.

He cupped her cheek, placing his other hand on the small of her back to pull her to him. He observed with delight the blush appearing on her beautiful face and grinned.

"You won't get mad if I kiss you right now, will you?" he asked softly, his tone playful. Videl's cheeks flared up, and she looked away in embarrassment. Gosh, she was just too cute. How he loved to bring out her shy side.

Gohan started to lean in, feeling his breath come short as the anticipation of tasting her addicting lips rose inside of him. He figured he should have cared that they were in the middle of the school halls and that a lot of their fellow students were staring, but, somehow, Gohan couldn't bring himself to – the urge to kiss Videl trumped everything else.

She murmured his name, her heaving breath tickling his lips. Gohan ran his tongue over them, his mouth suddenly feeling too dry. He watched through half-lidded eyes as her eyes slid shut, and his own followed suit as he closed the last inches that separated them.

He loved kissing Videl. Sometimes it felt like the pleasure, the electricity, the chemistry was just too much. Yet he couldn't help craving for more. More of her. All of her.

God, he wanted _her_ so unbelievably much. He wanted to kiss her _everywhere_ and lose himself in her. He ached to make love to Videl.

Gohan detached his lips from hers, heaving deeply. He kept his eyes closed and leaned his forehead against Videl's, cupping her face with both his hands.

"Nobody will ever come between us – I won't let them. I don't care who I have to beat the crap out of – I'm never letting go of you."

She giggled slightly at his choice of words, and Gohan felt that warm fuzziness in his chest again. His love for her was bursting out.

He wondered if Erasa could help him come up with the perfect plan to tell Videl he was hopelessly in love with her. He was certain the bubbly blonde would be more than willing to help, in any case.

ooOoo

Gohan wasn't quite sure how to approach the matter with his friend. It was minutes before the morning break, but he and Videl usually spent it together, just the two of them. Would Videl suspect something if he spoke with Erasa in private instead? When he put it that way, it didn't sound very inconspicuous…

His initial plan was to talk to Erasa after school, but now he had to go beat Videl's father at chess to make sure the man wouldn't get in the way of his and Videl's relationship. Gohan had to wonder how Videl pulled that off. How on earth did she manage to get her dad to agree to play chess with him instead of fighting him? She sure was something else, that girl.

His lips started to curve upward at that thought, and Gohan tried to stop himself from grinning like an idiot in the middle of class. It was no use, however, so the lovesick teenage boy pulled up his book to hid his face behind it, smiling to himself.

He felt so giddy at the thought of telling Videl how he felt. But, there was also a little part of him that was terrified at the prospect. It _might_ be a little too soon to say those three words, after all, but Gohan had decided to take his chance. Telling Videl about him had been the hardest part, but it all worked out in the end – even better than he could have imagined, too. Hopefully, the same thing would happen when he told Videl he loved her.

Lost in his thoughts, Gohan hadn't paid much attention to the current lecture, and so when the bell rang, the boy jumped slightly, taken by surprise. Everybody started gathering their stuff and get ready for the break; Gohan blinked himself out of his daze. He was the only one still in his seat, and he looked up when Videl shot him a smile.

His heart ached. Gosh, her smile was so beautiful.

"You coming?"

He offered her an awkward smile, finally starting to pack up the things he would need to put back in his locker. "Go on ahead, I'll join you in a moment."

Videl shot him a look, an eyebrow raised in confusion and curiosity. In the end, she simply shrugged. When she passed behind his chair, her hand brushed his shoulder, and Gohan felt a pleasant shiver course through him. His cheeks reddened ever so slightly, and he smiled dreamily as he watched his girlfriend go down the stairs and through the door.

But he quickly got himself together and turned to Erasa, getting up from his chair while shouldering his satchel. She was just about to pass behind him and follow after Videl.

"Could I have a moment with you, Erasa?"

The blonde shot him a funny look, having obviously no clue what brought this up all of a sudden. Sharpner raised an eyebrow at the pair in curiosity. He planned on asking Erasa about this later.

"Um, sure."

ooOoo

She had been gaping at him for like a full minute now. Gohan was growing nervous – and Videl was still waiting for him outside of the classroom, too.

"So, um, you got any ideas?" he asked kindly, pushing down his impatience. "I want to plan something big. I want the moment I tell Videl I love her to stay with her forever."

Erasa was still gaping at him. Finally, a word finally escaped her lips – literally one word: "Wow."

And then, slowly, a broad grin lit up her whole face, her baby blue eyes shining with excitement. "Gosh, you sure are the perfect boyfriend, aren't you?" Gohan smiled sheepishly, scratching his hair. "Well, you can count on my help – I'm already getting ideas popping in my head. You should definitely tell her at sunset – it's a guaranteed romantic mood. Oh! Maybe you could bring her to the beach and prepare a picnic or something… Or, or, you could bring her to some super high rooftop – oh, and there's that bridge, too, where couples hang padlocks as a symbol of their love. Ah! And what about –"

"Erasa," he cut her off with a gentle smile. "I kinda need to get back to Videl right now. We'll talk more about it later, okay?"

She nodded her head vigorously. "These are just off the top of my head. I'll think up something grander, I promise. You can count on me," she grinned, pointing at her chest with her thumb.

His eyes softened. He was so lucky to have a friend like Erasa. He put his hand on her arm and squeezed lightly to show her his gratitude. "Thank you so much, Erasa. You're the best. I knew coming to you was a good idea."

She gave him a wink, then pushed him towards the door, making him walk out of the empty classroom. "Now go find your girlfriend!" she laughed.

He grinned and nodded. Turning his head, he saw Videl leaning back against a locker across from their classroom. Her face lit up when she spotted him, and she rushed into his arms.

His heart fluttered delightfully. He closed his arms around her petite body and breathed in her hair.

He felt like telling her right here, right now. He just loved her so much.

From out of the corner of his eye, he saw Erasa walk past them, giving him a thumb up. He nodded at her. Well, he supposed holding it off would be worth it. Videl was worth everything and more, and Gohan wanted to make the first time he told her those words to be memorable.

Hey, it couldn't be harder than refraining himself from kissing her, right?

And speaking of kissing…

But Gohan knew that she didn't really like to be the center of attention when they kissed in public, and especially at school, so he took her hand and led her away from prying eyes – also known as the empty classroom right behind him.

As soon as the door was closed, his mouth was on hers. He kissed her deeply, putting all of his love into it. Gohan smiled against her lips as he felt Videl melt in his arms, and he held her tighter against him.

Holding off telling her he was crazy about her didn't seem so easy right now…

ooOoo

As he stood before the gigantic mansion where Videl lived, it occurred to Gohan that this would be the first time he would be entering the Satan House through the front door. Which was kind of funny, seeing as he'd been inside before. A couple days ago, actually. When he'd kissed Videl for the first time.

He grinned at the girl in question, standing by his side, her tiny, lovely hand in his much bigger one. It was such a simple action, to be holding hands with her, but it was one of the aspects of being Videl's boyfriend that he loved the most. Somehow, it felt more intimate than holding her in his arms or kissing her. As much as he enjoyed doing those things with her – and he enjoyed them _immensely_ – there was just something incredibly special about holding hands.

"I still can't believe you got him to face me at chess instead of in a fight," he chuckled in amusement. "How on earth did you pull that off?"

She smirked. "I know my dad. I just used his big ego against him."

Gohan raised an eyebrow at the girl grinning deviously at him. "Should I be worried that you're that good at manipulating people?"

"Terrified, actually," she said playfully, her deep blue eyes shining with mirth.

Unable to resist, Gohan leaned over to Videl and lifted her chin to capture her lips. It was slow and sweet, and Gohan felt his whole being glow with warmth and love as he let the beautiful sensations wash over him.

"I think I'm gonna take my chances," he murmured, looking into her eyes, stroking her cheek tenderly.

A blissful smile stretched her cherry pink lips. Gohan felt the familiar tug in his stomach, the one urging him to kiss Videl again and again.

But, the teen pushed it down, turning to the luxurious mansion once more. They had something more urgent to deal with right now. Mr. Satan was waiting for them, and Gohan didn't want to give the man more reasons to disapprove of his relationship with Videl.

It proved to be too late for that, however. When Videl led him inside, Gohan was met with a scowling Mr. Satan, his arms crossed in an intimidating way. And even Gohan had to admit, the ominous vibes his aura gave off were kinda scary.

There was no doubt that Videl's dad had seen them kiss through the window by the front door. Gohan swallowed. Well, wasn't that a great start? _I guess it's too late to make a good first impression…_

Which didn't mean Gohan wasn't going to try again, though.

"Hello, I'm Son Gohan," he introduced himself, letting go of Videl's hand to step towards her father and offering him his hand. Mr. Satan eyed it with distaste.

"Dad, be nice," Videl scolded him with a frown.

The man grumbled under his breath and begrudgingly shook Gohan's hand, albeit very briefly.

"I want you to know that I care deeply about your daughter, and the most important thing to me is to make her happy," Gohan said earnestly. He wasn't going to let the man's obvious contempt towards him discourage him.

"Whatever," Mr. Satan mumbled, clearly not buying it. "Let's get to business. Follow me."

Gohan only hesitated a few moments before taking Videl's hand again and walking after her father. Mr. Satan may not approve of him, but Gohan wasn't going to let that stop him from showing Videl his affection.

He couldn't help staring at the luxurious decor as he followed Mr. Satan, Videl by his side. Everything was marble, leather, oak, not to mention the numerous statues of the man of the house, as well as some much-coveted pieces of art, be it sculptures or paintings. Gohan felt like he was in a museum rather than a home. As magnificent as the place was, the boy could never see himself living in that kind of house. He was a guy with simple needs, after all, having grown up surrounded by nature and greenness. He much preferred the warmth and coziness of his simple home over the exuberance of the Satan House.

Hercule brought them to his office. The decor was similar to the rest of the estate: all marble and leather and oak, with renowned paintings hanging on the walls. A chess table had been specially set there, waiting for them to start playing. Gohan smiled to himself, confident that he would win. After all, if he could win against a strategy genius like Piccolo half the time they played against each other, surely he could handle someone like Videl's father.

Gohan gave Videl's hand a squeeze before letting it go, giving her an encouraging smile. She nodded at him in return – and she looked so cute that Gohan had to force himself to tear his gaze away from her before he could give into temptation and kiss her breath away. Doing that in front of her father would certainly not be in his favor.

"After you, sir," Gohan said politely, motioning to one of the leather chairs on either side of the chess table.

Hercule grunted in response and sat down. Videl pulled up one of the armchairs across her dad's swivel chair on the other side of his giant, oak desk, then placed it in front of the chess table and settled down, ready to watch the game. Gohan sat down last. His chair creaked when he moved closer to the table.

He cracked his knuckles, then shot Mr. Satan a smile. "Would you rather play white or black?"

"White," the man replied unsurprisingly.

He made his first move and pushed the button on his side of the timer. Gohan followed suit; the first ten moves were quick. The sound of the clock stopping and starting again as each player pushed their buttons was the only thing disturbing the silence. Videl was watching the game intently, but in truth, she had never been much of a player herself, and while she knew the basic rules, she couldn't tell who was winning. Her money was still on Gohan, of course.

The moves started to slow down. Videl took it as a good sign, because Gohan was still quick to play his turn, having obviously several moves ahead each time he shifted a piece. She smirked to herself. Her father was starting to sweat.

"You're pretty good," he told Gohan, shooting him a nervous smile, failing to look confident.

"Thanks," Gohan smiled back calmly, putting his king to safety queenside, swapping the royal piece and his rook, before pushing his button on the clock. "Castling. You're not too bad yourself."

Gohan was actually surprised. Videl did say her father was pretty good, and while the man was obviously no match for a skilled player such as himself, he really wasn't bad at all.

A familiar beeping went off, and his head jerked in Videl's direction. She mouthed a "Sorry," to him before answering the call on her watch. She stood up to leave the office so as not to disturb the game. Gohan's brow furrowed. In the back of his mind, he heard a _click_ followed by the ticking on his side of the timer – but a lump was forming in the pit of his stomach. He'd caught the chief talking about a bank robbery before Videl walked out. He didn't like this.

Hercule cleared his throat. "It's your turn, boy."

Gohan turned back on the game, still frowning deeply – but not because he was focusing on his next move. It was like his mind had followed Videl out the door.

And now he felt her _ki_ rushing away. Damn it. Why did it have to happen now, of all times? How could he concentrate when Videl was out there risking her life, and he was stuck here, unable to go help her? Unable to protect her.

"Aren't you worried about her when she's off fighting crime?" he asked Mr. Satan, tearing his gaze from the board to frown at the man. How could he be so calm when his only daughter could very well be in danger?

"She knows what she's doing, and she's been helping the police for a while now," the man replied simply. "Of course I worry, but Videl's never given me a reason to stop her from doing what she likes."

While his reasoning was legitimate, Gohan just couldn't stop worrying. The ticking was still going on his side of the clock, and Gohan glanced at it to see how much time they had left. They had set it at half an hour each before they started, which was pretty standard for a chess match; Mr. Satan's side had been closing in faster than his since he'd been taking longer to play his turns – up until now, that is. Gohan's lapse in concentration had cost him the upper hand on the clock. At least he was still winning the actual game – not that it would matter if he ended up running out of time.

Gohan shook his head to try and clear his mind and refocused his eyes on the chess board. Videl was still on her way to the crime scene. He frowned harder, trying to concentrate on his turn. He'd already planned it four moves ago – now what was it again…?

The clock was ticking. Gohan sat frozen, stuck on his next move. He narrowed his eyes, willing his brain to cooperate. Videl was going to be fine. She had been fighting criminals way before he came along to help out. Her father was right – she could handle herself just fine. He had no reason to get so worked up when she wasn't even in danger.

Her _ki_ spiked up. She'd started fighting. Gohan gritted his teeth.

Finally, he picked up his queen and moved it diagonally, four squares on the left, then pushed his button on the timer. Hercule raised an eyebrow, before taking one of his knights with his bishop.

"How could you miss that?" he said as he pressed his button on the clock. He frowned. "Does Videl's crime fighting worry you that much?"

"Yes," Gohan replied honestly.

"Doesn't that Singing Man fellow always turn up when she's helping the police, though? Shouldn't that ease your worries?"

Gohan refrained from correcting his superhero name. "Not really," he muttered, staring at the game without really seeing it.

"Well, too bad for you, then. I guess winning this is going to be even easier than I thought."

Gohan clenched his fists, clutching the fabric of his pants. His mind was reeling – and it had nothing to do with the chess game. Yet it should have – he was going to lose Videl's father's approval if he didn't win this, and it was only going to make his relationship with Videl more complicated.

And then he shut his eyes tightly, his heart rate picking up in alarm. Videl's _ki_ was dropping. She seemed okay for the most part, seeing as he could sense her still fighting stubbornly, giving it her all. But something happened. Her _ki_ was still dropping. She was hurt.

He suddenly stood. "I guess it can't be helped," he told Videl's father, who looked up at him in confusion. Gohan brought his left wrist to his chest's level, reaching for the red button on his watch with his right hand. "I forfeit."

A flash of light blinded Hercule, who covered his sight with his arm. And then, right before his eyes, a man in a familiar, colorful suit stood where his daughter's boyfriend had just been a moment ago.

"I have to protect her. Videl's safety is more important," the superhero said in Gohan's voice. Hercule's throat tightened. No way… That scrawny kid was actually…?

The Great Saiyaman walked briskly to the window behind the office chair, his red cape flowing behind him. He pushed the silky curtains aside and opened the double glass, before stepping onto the sill – and then he jumped out. Hercule stared, his mouth agape, as, instead of falling to his death, the caped hero took flight into the sky, zooming away like a rocket.


	17. Stain

It wasn't that he didn't trust Videl to handle the robbery on her own – no, really, he did. Gohan had always admired her courage and her sense of justice, and he loved that about her too. He loved her fighting spirit, and her unwavering determination, and her natural talent in martial arts, and her will to do what was right. Watching Videl fighting crime was one of the things that made him fall for her in the first place; it was just so fascinating, seeing that girl beat the crap out of big, armed bad guys.

But he just had to make sure that she was going to be okay. He had to protect her and just _be there_. You know, just in case. And the steady drop of her _ki_ was anything but reassuring.

As Gohan raced through the sky, focusing only on his destination, the consequences of what he'd just done kept creeping up to his thoughts. That is, throwing the chess match as well as his one chance at earning Videl's father's approval, not to mention _turning into Saiyaman right in front of him_. But Gohan pushed it all away and concentrated on Videl's unsteady energy signal. He gritted his teeth in impatience. Only a few more moments and…

Barely slowing down as he rushed into the bank, the Great Saiyaman broke straight through the front window, glass shards flying everywhere – and then in a gust of wind, all the bank robbers still standing dropped like flies, all at once.

For the people sitting on the floor, now saved from the hostage situation, the caped hero seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of Videl. The girl in question stared at him.

"Go… Great Saiyaman," she murmured, catching herself in time. "What are you…?"

She trailed off. Her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open, she seemed too befuddled to finish a complete sentence. But Gohan's attention was elsewhere. A sinking feeling weighed down on his stomach at the growing smudge on the right side of Videl's waist, crimson staining her white shirt.

"You're hurt." He took a sharp breath, trying to take control over his raging emotions. Gohan had to remind himself that he was the Great Saiyaman right now and not Videl's boyfriend – whom the whole city probably knew about for that matter thanks to that gossip magazine.

Videl looked down at the stain on her shirt and paused, as though she hadn't realized she was injured until now. Gohan's lips – the only visible part of his face under his helmet – pursed in a thin line. Just how reckless could that girl be? How could one _not even notice_ something like that?

She actually had the nerve to _shrug_ , as if she didn't have a freaking pool of _blood_ staining her shirt. Videl frowned up at him. "What are you doing here? What about—?" She left the rest of her sentence hanging, but that was enough for Gohan to get what she meant.

"You're hurt," he said again, stepping closer to her with his arms outstretched, ready to pick her up. "Let's get you to the hospital."

She swatted him away. He could feel frustration and irritation rising in her aura if her narrowing eyes weren't enough indication. "What _happened_?" she asked in a low voice through gritted teeth.

The group of customers and employees still hadn't moved from the tiled floor of the bank, watching the exchange in silent awe. Maybe not quite grasping that they were safe now. And maybe a bit curious at the odd scene between their beloved heroes. And since the police force outside hadn't been informed of the development of the situation in the bank, they couldn't know that it was fine to come inside now.

"We'll talk later," Gohan muttered under his breath. "This needs to be looked at," he added, motioning to the worrying red stain on her shirt.

Videl scowled. " _Fine_ ," she gritted out. "It's barely even a scratch, but _whatever_."

She marched past him, not letting him pick her up, and Gohan had to admit that her injury didn't seem to bother her at all as she walked through the hole in the glass window that he'd made when he had barged in. Although, knowing her, she could very well push herself through the pain, just to show him that she didn't need his help.

Gohan jogged after her. "Just let me—" he started, coming up to her.

She rolled her eyes and puffed. " _Fine_. You're such a worrywart, I swear…"

Gohan pursed his lips, vexed that Videl would dismiss his well-placed concern so carelessly. As though her shirt _wasn't_ getting redder by the second.

He picked her up and took off to the sky, trusting the situation at the bank to resolve itself from there. It wasn't like there was any danger anymore anyway, and he had more pressing matters to attend to. As in, making sure his girlfriend wasn't going to bleed out on him.

"Gohan." Videl's voice was firm and demanding as she said his name. "What happened with my dad?"

He didn't reply, keeping his sight focused on his destination.

" _Gohan_ ," Videl called him again. "What _happened_?"

He scowled. "I can't believe you don't even care that you're freaking _bleeding out_." Gohan glared at her, though the effect was minimized by his helmet. The frustration and hurt in his voice were unmistakable, however.

Videl sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm not bleeding out, Gohan. I told you, it's just a scratch. Some guy had a knife, but really, he barely grazed me. You saw me walk just fine just now, didn't you?"

The muscles on his face didn't relax. Videl touched his cheek and looked into his visor, behind which his eyes were hiding. "Gohan," she said again, her tone soft this time. "What happened?"

Gohan swallowed nervously, avoiding her eyes. He focused on the sky ahead. "I could sense that you were in trouble," he muttered. "I couldn't concentrate on the game anyway."

She pulled her hand back and gaped at him, her eyes wide. "Please tell me you won…"

Gohan shot her a guilty smile. "Sorry. I transformed into Saiyaman in front of him and took off."

Dumbfounded silence followed, and Gohan winced in anticipation for what was coming.

"You _what_?!"

He turned his head to stare ahead of him again, his lower lip sticking out. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to win that game and let me handle the bank robbery!" she retorted heatedly. "Do you think so little of me that you can't even trust me to take care of some petty criminals on my own? Do you think that I'm some weak, helpless little girl who can't even save herself? That I'm some kind of damsel in distress just waiting for her knight in his shining armor to come rescue her?"

He gritted his teeth, slowing down to look around for the hospital. It should be close by now. "You got _stabbed_."

"Grazed," she corrected him stubbornly. "And I don't need to go to the hospital, actually. Just take me home. My first-aid kit will be more than enough."

Gohan stopped in mid-air and blew a frustrated sigh. He bit back the rant that begged to come out. About how much he worried about her, not just this time but every time she rushed off to save the day and put herself in danger; about how much he cared about her. He stopped himself from blurting out that he'd _die_ if anything were to ever happen to her, because she meant too much to him and had become way too important in his life. That he needed her too much, and that he couldn't bear the mere idea of losing her. That he loved her – God, he loved her so much.

He was dying to let it all out and blow up on her, to pour his heart out to her; to make her understand just what she put him through each and every time her watch sounded off and she was called off to fight crime.

But… for her sake, for her own peace of mind – Gohan kept his mouth shut.

"Fine."

He took off again, turning in the direction of Videl's house this time.

Videl loved fighting; she loved stopping crime – and he loved that about her, too. Gohan wasn't going to be the one who got in the way of her doing something she loved, something that had shaped her into the person she was today, and gave her purpose in life. He didn't want to be that guy. He refused to become that kind of guy. He knew how much helping the police meant to Videl, and he didn't even _want_ her to stop. Just, if she could be more careful maybe, and not so freaking _reckless_ all the time.

Still, Gohan said nothing. He _couldn't_ say anything. He wanted Videl to do the things she loved. Even if that meant keeping his feelings about all this bottled up and never breathing a word of how worried sick he was always going to be.

But… he knew what he was signing up for when he chose a girl like Videl – well, when his heart chose for him, really. And it wasn't like anything he would say could ever change her stubborn mind anyway. Gohan knew he just had to bear with it. Besides, as long as he could help her as the Great Saiyaman, he should be able to make sure that she was always going to be all right.

And she would be. He was never, _ever_ , going to let anything happen to her. _Ever_.

ooOoo

He couldn't get over it. Hercule was staring ahead of him, a blank look on his face – his eyes still wide open and his mouth hanging.

That little shrimp… was a _superhero_? The one who could lift buses and stop bullets with his bare hands? The one who could fly and shoot bright blasts from his hands? The same one who had always given him a horrible sense of _déjà vu_?

He gulped. Man, this was _bad_. If Hercule was right about that scrawny-looking kid, then he was in _big_ trouble. There had been only one occurrence where the champ remembered seeing the same type of superhuman feats, and if he was right, if that boy really was related in any way to that group of people who fought Cell, then Hercule was dead meat. Not only did it mean that his daughter's boyfriend may very well know what _really_ happened at the Cell Games, but it also meant that he had no leverage against them dating seeing as that superhero kid was most definitely stronger than him.

But, the fact that Videl suggested the chess match may mean that she wasn't aware of that little bit of information, and the thought reassured the man. Being Videl's hero meant the world to him, whether he deserved it or not, and the last thing he wanted was to disappoint her.

… Tied with her dating a boy, that is. Damn it, how was he going to bring them apart if even his supposedly infallible rule failed him? Okay, sure, so that boy threw the chess match and rushed off to help Videl because of how much he worried about her, and clearly he cared a whole lot about her, which was a good quality in a boyfriend, Hercule admitted – but that wasn't the point. The point was, his little girl was way too young to start seeing boys. Superhero or not, boys were boys, and Mr. Satan wasn't going to let that one defile his precious Videl.

Although, he did win the chess match in the end, and if, indeed, Videl didn't know about her boyfriend's double life, then maybe that was it. The kid probably wouldn't want to fight him and blow his cover anyway, right? A cover that he did blow in front of him, for that matter, the man reminded himself. That meant he might have some leverage against the boy after all. Surely he wouldn't want his little secret to get out, right?

Hercule sat back on his chair and smiled, crossing his arms. So he did have a way to stop Videl from dating that boy, after all. Who was stronger didn't matter – it was all about leverage.

ooOoo

Videl pointed at the window to her room, which had been left open. Not that Gohan needed directions. He stopped in mid-air behind the wide rectangle – and had a brief flash of the night he came to see Videl to show her he was Saiyaman.

It was hard to believe it had only been a few days. It felt like a lifetime ago.

He pushed the glass with his shoulder to open it wider as he passed through the window sill, and walked to the king-sized bed, still carrying Videl in his arms. He sat her down gently on the mattress, and as he straightened up, pushed the red button on his watch to turn back into his everyday clothes. She paused and watched the small device strapped to his wrist with interest.

"Where is your first-aid kit?" he asked her. Videl blinked and looked up at him. When his question registered in her mind, she started to get up to show him, but he put his hand on her shoulder to keep her on the bed. "Just, sit and let me get it for you, okay? Humor me."

Videl rolled her eyes, but she wasn't able to fight down the twitch on the corners of her lips, smiling despite herself. Gohan dropped on one knee in front her and smiled back, brushing away her bangs from her eyes. He had another flash, of the moment just before he kissed her for the very first time, and the memory tied his stomach into tight knots. Unable to resist, Gohan leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, ever so softly.

She was smiling blissfully when he pulled back, her eyes fluttering open. "In my bathroom, the cabinet under the sink."

Gohan nodded, then he got up and looked around to spot the bathroom door at the other end of the bedroom, facing the bed. This time, Gohan allowed himself to observe the room more carefully, noting the many Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan movie posters hanging on the walls. He smiled to himself as he walked to the bathroom. Videl had good taste. Well, she did choose _him_ , after all, he joked to himself.

He passed her desk and a bookcase on his right by the window, then a recreation spot with a red couch and some bean bags facing a flat screen. There was training equipment to his left in the corner of the room: a punching bag, a wooden dummy, as well as a running mat and a foam roll spread out on the floor. Her walk-in closet was on the right corner of the room; it was large and included a full-length mirror on one of the sliding doors.

He pushed the door to the bathroom open and let out a whistle as he looked around. It was spacious and luxurious, with a large tub with golden faucets and marble everywhere. Must be nice to be so wealthy, he chuckled to himself as he walked over to the sink. Gohan crouched down, opening the cabinet. He found the first-aid kit easily, the big red pouch with its white cross being a dead giveaway. He grabbed it and straightened up, then walked out of Videl's own personal bathroom.

He smiled at her, showing her the kit as he walked to her.

"Okay, give it to me," she said simply.

And then Gohan froze in the middle of the room, staring in bewilderment as Videl took off her blood-stained shirt. She just took it off nonchalantly, like it was nothing, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to be shirtless in front of her boyfriend.

Noticing him just standing there and staring at her with wide eyes and a bright blush across his face, Videl rolled her eyes. "What? I'm wearing a sports bra." And it was light blue with gray edges, Gohan couldn't help but notice. "I go out running like that all the time, you know."

"You _what_?" he sputtered, almost strangling himself, and forcefully pried his eyes from her cleavage to look at her.

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "It's a very common workout outfit, you don't have to look so shocked."

"But… That means… I-I mean…" He gulped and motioned to her body from head to toe with his hand. "You look so… And other people see you?"

She smirked and walked up to him. "I look so what?"

 _Hot_ , he answered in his head, but preferred to keep that to himself. Instead, he focused on the red gash and the dried blood on the right side of Videl's waist. "Let's fix you up."

"Sure." She had that little, satisfied smile as she said that, and for some reason, it caused Gohan to blush even brighter. It made him feel self-conscious of his own thoughts, feeling as though Videl knew exactly what was going through his head.

She sat back down on her bed, while Gohan unzipped the red pouch he was still holding, taking the last few steps to Videl. She held out her hand, expecting him to give her the first-aid kit so she could fix up her wound by herself, but instead, Gohan kneeled down in front of her again.

"Let me," he said softly. His face was still pretty red, because being so close to Videl always had that effect on him, and her current attire, or lack thereof, was certainly not helping… But his eyes were serious. It would be uncomfortable and impractical for Videl to do it on her own, given the location of the injury, and, with his experience at mending wounds, Gohan was more than qualified to patch Videl up. And he wanted his girlfriend to have nothing but the best medical care possible.

She smiled in amusement and didn't protest, and Gohan got to work. He cleaned the blood around the gash, and as her skin cleared, Gohan had to admit that it didn't look so bad now. Videl had been, indeed, only grazed by the blade aimed at her, and while the amount of blood had scared him, it wasn't too bad either in the end.

"You were lucky," he muttered, his focus on his work. Carefully, he dabbed the disinfectant-soaked cotton on the gash, and Videl winced slightly.

"It wasn't luck," she stated. "I dodged the guy's aim. That's skill."

Gohan couldn't help but chuckle. As scared and worried as he'd been for her, he was relieved that there had been more fear than harm.

 _This time,_ a little voice in his head added, filling him with dread despite himself.

But Gohan focused on his task. He applied betadine on the wound, and winced in empathy when Videl's body tensed. He looked up at her and offered her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry."

But she smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It just stings a little. And you're really good at this, too. Not that I'm surprised," she added with a chuckle.

Gohan found himself staring dreamily at the beautiful girl he was lucky enough to be with. She was so breathtaking. And he was so hopelessly in love.

She gave him a look, an eyebrow arched at him, and a light pinkish tint on her cheeks. "What?"

He cracked a sheepish smile and shrugged, before focusing back on Videl's injury. He took out a big enough bandage from the first-aid kit, and his brow furrowed in concentration as he carefully stuck it over the gash – unaware that Videl was watching him with a dreamy look on her face. _He's so cute when he's serious._

Gohan smiled at his work, then looked up at her. "All done."

Videl leaned in and kissed his cheek, and Gohan found himself blushing as though it had been the first time. "Thanks," she said softly, smiling back at him.

He scratched his hair and chuckled awkwardly. Geez, why was he so nervous? After what happened yesterday afternoon in the park, you'd think a simple kiss on the cheek wouldn't make him so flustered.

He got to his feet and offered her his hand. "Well, um, I think we should go back to your father now."

Videl took his hand and let him help her up. "What should we do about him, for that matter? He'll never be okay with the two of us dating," she said with a frown.

Gohan shrugged. "He knows I'm Saiyaman now," he reminded her. "And I figure he must have realized I'm stronger than him."

"Yeah but…" she trailed off, looking to the side thoughtfully, and her frown deepened. Gohan squeezed her hand, catching her attention and making her look at him. "Knowing him, he's not going to leave us be without a fight, and now he knows your secret, too…" She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "What if he uses it against you?"

Still, Gohan wasn't worried. "Did you forget that _I_ know _his_ secret, too? And his is _way_ worse."

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. "You'd go that far?" she breathed out. "You'd even tell him about that?"

Gohan interlaced their fingers and pulled on her hand, bringing Videl closer to him. He cupped her cheek with his spare hand and looked deep into her eyes. Ah, those gorgeous eyes of hers. They were going to be the end of him.

"For you?" he murmured. "I'd do anything."

There had been many moments like this one since they got together. Moments where Videl could see and feel so clearly how much Gohan cared about her. Moments where that special glint in his eyes would shine so brightly and with so much tenderness as he looked deep into hers. Moments where his gentle smile would make her knees go weak, and yet fill her being with so much strength and happiness and complete trust in this boy.

In moments like these, Videl would feel all her insecurities and fears for their future together melt away without a trace, as though they had never been there in the first place.

She slid her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest, feeling a wave of gratitude that she'd somehow crossed path with this wonderful, beautiful young man.

"You're the best, you know that?" she mumbled into his shirt. Hmm _…_ She was so addicted to his scent.

Gohan cracked a smile, shifting his arms around the petite girl's shoulders as he rested his chin on top of her head. "Thanks. I try, heh."

As his arms moved, however, his hands made contact with Videl's bare skin. He felt a sparkle, and the boy kind of froze. He suddenly remembered that he was currently hugging his _shirtless_ girlfriend, and his face flared up, his body tensing up.

He cleared his throat and pulled away, avoiding eye contact as he scratched the back of his head – trying not to think of how warm and smooth and electrifying Videl's skin had felt, and how much he wanted to touch her again. "Um…" He cleared his throat again, coughing into his fist. "You should probably, um, put on a new shirt." His face was burning up more and more. "Before we go see your dad, especially."

Videl smirked to herself, amused by Gohan's adorable awkwardness. She was tempted to tease him, but the girl decided against it. Instead, she took a step forwards and reached up to plant a soft kiss on his cheek, letting her lips linger on his skin. When she pulled back, Gohan had somehow gotten even redder, his bright, crimson blush taking over his whole face and even going down his throat and the base of his chest, continuing past the fabric of his shirt. His shoulders were tense, and so were his fists hanging at his sides.

Videl beamed up at him. He was just too cute.

"Sure," she said simply, grinning gleefully.

And then, there it was again – that look. Gohan's eyes softened in that particular way again as he gazed at her, and Videl felt like an ice statue left forgotten in the most blazing sun.

She was utterly, helplessly, most definitely crazy about that boy. Like you wouldn't believe.


	18. Anticipation

Hercule frowned at the screen. He had put on the news in his office to make sure that Videl was okay, and while she had been seen walking out of the bank, the reporters were speculating about the blood seen on her shirt and whether it was hers or the criminals'. But what seemed to be the main topic of the day was the witnesses' accounts about how the Great Saiyaman took but a second to knock out all the standing robbers and, more precisely, his "strange exchange" with Miss Videl afterward, as a thirty-something woman who worked at the bank put.

"It was really strange because they seemed to be talking about something that had nothing to do with the bank robbery," the witness said over the mike of the news station. "It looked like there was a lot of tension between them, but it wasn't like usual, like how Miss Videl usually tries to unmask him and all."

The woman, as an employee of the bank, was sadly not at her first robbery occurrence, as she went on to explain, but that also meant she had more than one occasion to see their beloved savior's daughter making a grab for the caped hero's trademark helmet.

"I think they said something like 'we'll talk later', and Saiyaman was really upset that Miss Videl was bleeding," the woman continued, apparently fascinated by the encounter between the city's famous crime fighters. "Then they went outside and Saiyaman picked up Miss Videl and took off – I think they were talking about going to the hospital to get Miss Videl's injury checked out."

As she finished her account, the image changed to show what she just described, and the news' reporter voice added that they have been informed that no hospital seemed to have received Miss Videl in their service as of yet.

Hercule watched the stain on Videl's shirt, worry lines creasing his forehead, but his frown turned into a scowl when the screen showed the so-called superhero picking up Videl like a bride and taking off to sky to who knows where.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Hercule gruffly invited the person to come in as he turned off the screen with the remote. His scowl darkened when the familiar head of his daughter's damned boyfriend stuck out of the door.

"If you came for a rematch, you're too late. It was an one-time offer, and you blew it."

"I was hoping we could talk," Gohan said in a respectful tone, closing the door behind him.

There was a moment of silence, during which Hercule gauged the teenage boy leaning against the door, his hands behind his back. The way he looked now, with the dress pants, the black dress shoes, the tucked-in white shirt, the black vest and his high school pin against his chest, it was hard to believe this kid could even fight, let alone be a superhero. They said not to judge a book by its cover, but damn, it was like the book's cover showed a couple of passionate lovers while the story was actually about a war between killer robots and zombies.

"Where's my daughter?" Hercule asked accusingly, as if Gohan had taken her away.

"She's here," the boy replied. "She said she didn't need to go to the hospital so I brought her back to her room instead, since the window was open."

If Hercule had any doubts before, he couldn't deny the obvious now: Videl was well aware of who her boyfriend really was, and a swirl of dread rose in his stomach. Did that mean –

_Does she know?_

And then a small detail of what Gohan just said distracted him from his fear of disappointing his only daughter. His eyes narrowed to slits. "You were in her room?"

"Just to patch her up!" Gohan squeaked raising his hands in defense – and sounding way too nervous for someone who pretended he did nothing wrong. He cleared his throat into his fist, his cheeks reddening a little, and took a few steps towards the imposing desk behind which Hercule was sitting. "And it turned out to be a lot less serious than I thought – I think I let my worries get to my head even though Videl was doing fine on her own."

"You still don't get a rematch," the afro-ed man reminded him sternly. "You lost, fair and square."

"I guess it can't be helped," Gohan said with an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head.

Then he sighed, the kind of sigh you have when you're about to do something you really wish you didn't have to, and Hercule felt a trickle of sweat rolling down his temple, having to remind himself that this nerdy kid wasn't just some nobody, even though it was hard to fathom given his humble demeanor.

"You know," Gohan started, looking around the well-furnished office distractedly, "there are many ways I could convince you to let me see Videl."

Hercule froze despite himself, and he couldn't help wondering just _what_ he meant by _convincing him,_ and just then the boy looked him in the eye – but there was no threat in his gaze. He looked strangely resigned, and his smile was half-hearted.

"Or I guess we could just do what we want and ignore your disapproval – I think you know who I really am, and I don't only mean my Great Saiyaman persona."

Some world champion he was – Hercule found himself having to control his hands from shaking. He swallowed, letting what the boy said sink in.

So that was really him. He was the Delivery Boy from the Cell Games. Looking at his features closely, Hercule was forced to see the physical resemblance despite the different hair and eye color.

That kid was the real world savior. Everything _he_ was, everything he had become, Hercule owed it to that kid letting him take the credit for defeating Cell.

The man swallowed, breaking eye contact and looking down at his hands.

 _Does Videl know?_ he almost asked out loud, but couldn't bring himself to it. She hadn't said anything about it, and she hadn't been acting much differently towards him lately. Hercule preferred to convince himself that she didn't know, and if Videl would rather pretend she didn't even though she did, that was more than fine with him. He didn't want to ever have to confront her about what he'd done…

… to her boyfriend, no less. He swallowed again, more forcefully. He'd been lying so much for so long, the man had managed to make himself believe his own lies: but the truth had always a way of getting out. Fate had a twisted sense of humor, having his only daughter fall for the boy he'd wronged. He supposed she could do worse – a lot worse than the real world savior, that was for sure. And he wasn't a bad kid, either.

But his little girl was only sixteen. It was too soon. He wasn't ready. He didn't want her to grow up so fast!

"But I–" Gohan continued again, averting his eyes from the distress he could read on Videl's father face. "I actually _want_ your approval. I want us to get along. You're Videl's father, her family, and I…" Gohan swallowed nervously as he continued, and Hercule parted his lips slightly as he stared at the boy. "I hope to be part of her family someday, too."

He'd whispered that part, a little abashed of his words. But it was the truth. He was definitely getting ahead of himself and it was way too soon to even think about it, but in Gohan's mind, it was the only direction his relationship with Videl could take. Of course, it would be for much later, when they were both old enough to get by on their own and could get married.

His face flushed at the thought. Get married…

"I-I know you're just trying to protect your daughter, but so am I," he went on, fighting his stutter. Then he looked the man dead in the eye, placing his hand over his heart, raw honesty shining in his onyx eyes. "I swear I would rather be tortured to death than hurt Videl in any way."

Hercule watched the young man thoughtfully. His daughter could do a lot worse, indeed.

ooOoo

It came as a surprise to see Gohan and Videl walk the hallways of Orange Star High hand in hand the next morning. Everybody assumed their relationship would be over the moment Videl's overprotective father would hear of it.

"So what happened?" Sharpner asked, leaning against the locker next to Videl's while Gohan waited for her to finish putting away her books. "Surely Videl's dad was dead against you two being together, right?"

Gohan and Videl shared a smile. "Yeah, he was," she admitted, shutting the door to her locker, holding a couple books against her chest. With a look and his hand outstretched, Gohan looked like he wanted to carry them for her. She rolled her eyes but a faint blush was tinting her cheeks a lovely cherry blossom color. She handed them to him nonetheless, "If you insist."

Gohan beamed. Sharpner stopped himself from palming his face to spare himself this sickeningly adorable lovey-dovey atmosphere. Videl sent him a silent glare. He rolled his eyes.

"So what happened?" he asked again.

Gohan shrugged, "I just talked to him and told him how much Videl means to me, that I'm serious about her, and that I'd rather be tortured than hurt her."

Videl froze and flushed, then turned to look at her boyfriend and gaped at him. He offered her a sheepish grin. Sharpner snickered. "Geez, you're so sappy. I swear, Videl, you've got some weird taste in guys."

She flushed at the remark but decided to ignore it. " _That_ 's what you talked to him about?" Videl asked Gohan in disbelief and embarrassment.

Gohan tilted his head in thoughts. "I think my exact words were that I'd rather be tortured to death than hurt you in any way." He shrugged. "Well, it's the truth."

"And it worked?" Sharpner asked, still a bit skeptical. He crossed his arms. "I mean, sure, you're probably the least threatening guy for a daughter – how long did you guys take to share your first kiss again?" he teased, causing his friends to blush instantly. Sharpner snickered some more. "Yeah, so, I'd totally trust my daughter with a guy like you if I had one –" Gohan blushed harder and stared at his feet, inevitably thinking about the other day after school, at the park, under that tree, and Videl's curves, and the taste of her skin, and the way she'd moaned when he touched her… and he thought to himself that Sharpner really had no idea how wrong he was. "– but was it really that easy to make him change his mind?"

"Well, _ahem_ ," Gohan coughed into his fist, pushing away those thoughts to get back on topic. "There were other factors, sure…" As in, him being the real savior of the world and letting Mr. Satan take the credit for it. "But in the end I think he kinda liked me." Which wasn't a lie, either. After their talk, the two men had shaken hands and Hercule gave him a firm look, telling him that he seemed like a decent guy for his daughter and not to disappoint him. Gohan had felt the start of a bond forming between them, building from how much they both cared about Videl.

Gohan was hopeful. With time, he believed that he and Videl's dad would surely get along. Well, if things went according to plan, and if, like Gohan hoped, in a few years, he and Videl got married, it wouldn't hurt if his possibly future father-in-law liked him.

 _Geez, you're getting_ way _ahead of yourself, Gohan,_ he told himself with a bright blush across his face. _I still haven't even told her how much I love her, how did I come to start thinking about marriage? We're only sixteen for goodness' sake…_

"Heh, that doesn't even surprise me," Sharpner smirked. "I mean, if a nerd like you could somehow become my friend, I'm pretty sure you could make anyone come to like you. I mean, even Videl couldn't resist." He winked at her and laughed when she turned a brighter red than a tomato. Geez, an embarrassed Videl was hilarious.

Gohan laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Hehe, maybe."

It sure helped that the Son boy was, much like his father, a generally likable person.

ooOoo

"I came up with the perfect idea."

Erasa had asked to talk to him alone, causing Videl to give them a suspicious look – Gohan had grinned, as he hadn't seen that look for a while and kinda missed it, before following Erasa out of the classroom and to the hallway to, he figured, talk about how he was going to profess his love to his girlfriend.

He cracked a smile. "I'm listening."

"I don't actually have the details, but I do believe that you should bring Videl somewhere meaningful to you. I know she'd love you to open up more about yourself and show her something you've kept to yourself, for example. Or, you could have her meet someone who means a lot to you."

Gohan's eyes lit up. "I love that idea. Erasa, you're a genius."

She grinned. "Just using my talents for a great cause. Oh, and make sure it happens at sunset. Nothing's more romantic than a beautiful sunset with the person you love."

Gohan grinned back, feeling excited and anxious at the same time. "Will do. Thank you so much, Erasa. I couldn't have asked for a better friend."

"Aww, you're so sweet." She blushed slightly at the compliment. "I'm just so happy for you and Videl – you two are so perfect for each other, it's so rare to see such a strong bond between two people."

Gohan beamed. "Yeah. I'm the luckiest guy in the world, I swear." His eyes softened. "I just love her so much, my heart feels like bursting sometimes."

It felt so amazing to say it aloud, to talk to someone about it. Gohan sure felt blessed to have friends he could confide in without feeling ashamed or worrying about them teasing him about it.

"Make sure you tell her that," she said with a wink.

He grinned. "Will do."

ooOoo

Erasa's idea had inspired him, and Gohan knew exactly where he was going to bring Videl for their date before telling her he loved her.

"What was that about?" Videl asked when he and Erasa came back to the classroom together.

"You'll know soon enough," Erasa replied cryptically, humming happily to herself, obviously in a high mood.

"Hey, Erasa…" Gohan protested weakly. He had meant to keep it a surprise.

Videl frowned, her gaze shifting from one to the other as their sat down on their respective seats. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" Gohan answered quickly, too quickly, his hands raised in defense, sweat trickling down his temple.

"Are you keeping secrets from me again?" she narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend, a flash of hurt flickering in her blue eyes.

"Geez, Videl, he's planning a surprise for you," Erasa rolled her eyes. "Stop being so suspicious and enjoy how caring and considerate your boyfriend is."

Gohan let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping. "You do know what the definition of a surprise is, don't you, Erasa?"

"What? It's not like I told her what you're planning." She shrugged. "Besides, now she's going to build up her expectations about what you could be planning and enjoy your surprise even more when it happens. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

He ran a hand over the back of his neck, his cheeks reddening a little. "Oh… I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right."

Videl pouted and crossed her arms. "You can't blame me for wondering what you two were up to. The way you two sneaked off is really suspicious. How could I have guessed you were helping Gohan planning something for me?"

"A little trust doesn't hurt," Erasa said with a wink.

"Were we sneaky…?" Gohan wondered sheepishly, scratching his head. "I'm sorry about that, Videl, but Erasa's just been helping come up with ideas."

"And?" Videl asked expectantly.

Gohan tilted his head in confusion. "And, what?"

"And, when are you taking me to that surprise of yours?"

"That's… a really good question," he laughed awkwardly. Videl couldn't help the warm smile forming on her face at Gohan's absolutely adorable laugh. "I have to make some arrangements first… I think, this weekend should be good. Does Saturday work for you?"

Videl felt the urge to take Erasa's seat just so she could lean in and kiss Gohan's tempting mouth. Gosh, he was so freaking adorable. How did she end up with the sweetest boyfriend ever?

"I can't wait."

"We need to go shopping to pick out the perfect outfit for the occasion," Erasa piped in. She raised her hand to silence Videl's protest. "Look, I know you hate going to the mall with me, but I promise I won't drive you crazy and make you try too many clothes. But this is a big occasion and you'll want to be drop dead gorgeous for Gohan on your date."

Videl pouted and crossed her arms in bad faith, but admitted that Erasa was right.

"Videl is already drop dead gorgeous anyway," Gohan said casually as he picked up his Physics book and skimmed through it to find the page they'd last worked on, seeing as the morning break was almost over and their next class would be starting any moment now.

He didn't even seem to realize that he'd said anything out of the ordinary. Erasa gaped at him, and Videl's face turned so red she felt like she was about to pass out from the excess of blood rushing to her head.

He glanced their way and gave them a confused look, tilting his head to the side at their reactions. "What? Did I say something weird?"

He was met with silence, both girls frozen as they kept staring at him.

"I mean, you are gorgeous," he said slowly to Videl, who just flushed even more at that. "That's not news to anyone, is it…?"

Sharpner raised an eyebrow when he came up to their row and found this unusual sight. Erasa was still gaping, Videl's face had discovered the brightest shade of red ever as they both stared at a very confused Gohan who was typically scratching his hair at the girls.

"The hell happened here?"

"Beats me," Gohan replied, more confused than ever. "Is it weird for me to say that Videl is gorgeous? I mean, she is, obviously, so what's the big deal?"

It took a moment for the blond boy to register what had happened, as his gaze shifted from Erasa, to Videl, to Gohan again – and then he burst out laughing. Man, his friends were hilarious.

And Gohan only got even more confused.


	19. Up

How she loved this feeling. Videl sighed in content, snuggling up to Gohan, nuzzling the crook of his neck. He giggled a little. "Hey, that tickles."

Videl felt hot in her stomach, running her hand up and down his torso. "But you smell so nice."

Gohan flared up, averting his eyes to the sky above them. They were hanging out after school at the town park, in a secluded part, lying down on the grass together and holding each other close.

Now his body was burning up, as Videl started planting soft kisses on his skin. He gulped, mustering all of his self-control not to move an inch, or he might just jump his girlfriend right then and there.

"Vi… Videl…" he croaked out. "What are you…?"

She suddenly moved to straddle his midsection and dipped her head to capture his mouth. Gohan groaned against her lips, his fingers twitching, itching to lay his hands on her hips and pull her closer.

"Videl… Hey…" he tried again, their breaths mingling, his voice weak and forced. She was turning him on like mad and his pants already felt way too tight.

"You drive me crazy…" she murmured against his neck, her teeth grazing his skin.

Gohan shut his eyes and tightened his jaw, clenching his fists in an attempt to get a hold of himself. Why couldn't they hang out in the park without getting physical? It wasn't that he didn't like it – in fact, he liked it a little too much, if his growing erection was any indication – but he wanted to wait and take his time with Videl. He believed that if they waited for the right moment, getting intimate with her would only be all the more special. He didn't want to go all the way just because their hormones were going crazy – which they certainly were, adding to that their ridiculous chemistry. If he and Videl were to take that step, he wanted it to be a magical moment where their bodies and souls would become one. Not just an urge that needed to be fulfilled.

But right now it was becoming too hard to resist. Gohan's hands landed on Videl's hips and he ground his hard-on between her thighs. He groaned at the sensation, letting his mind shut off for the time being – after all, as long as they didn't go too far, a little fun with his girlfriend wouldn't hurt, right?

Videl kissed him hard, rolling her hips against his tight pants. He rolled them over to lie on top of her and slid his hands under her shirt, his fingers burning at the touch of her smooth skin. She let out a long moan when he started nibbling and licking her earlobe, her chest heaving. Her scent, her taste, her moans were driving him insane. He bucked his hips again, rubbing himself against her crotch. He could smell her arousal. Damn it, he wanted her so bad.

His hand under her shirt came in contact with the fabric of her bra, and in his current state Gohan couldn't contain himself, he slipped his hand under the garment and grabbed her breast. Videl sucked in a breath and arched her back. She slapped her hand on her mouth to muffle a cry of pleasure when he run his thumb over her nipple before pinching it. Gohan moved her hand away with his free one and kissed her avidly instead.

Videl wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, rocking her body against his, grinding against his very obvious arousal. She groaned when he rubbed himself between her legs just the right way, building up delicious tension. She suddenly grabbed his butt and pushed herself harder against him, again and again, feeling something coming. Gohan's hand was still under her bra, caressing her breast, intensifying the pleasure.

She was going insane. It felt so good. She wished she could feel his skin, she craved to feel him actually inside of her.

She pictured them actually going all the way, Gohan's muscular, naked body on top of her, his member entering her, making sweet love to her.

His face just millimeters from hers, his heavy breaths tickling her tingling lips, Gohan looked at her with half-lidded eyes.

"You're so beautiful."

Videl smiled, her gaze full of love and lust. She slid her hands under his untucked shirt and ran them along his strong back. Gohan cupped her cheek with his spare hand and pressed his forehead against hers, rubbing himself harder against her. His skin felt so hot and delicious, his muscles were so tight with tension.

 _I love you so much,_ she told him in her head. Little did she know, Gohan had the exact same thought going through his head.

He kissed her again – and then Videl felt it. Something broke and her body started shaking, feeling something burning hot between her trembling thighs. Her cry of ecstasy was muffled against Gohan's delectable lips.

When he felt Videl's body convulse and her _ki_ skyrocket, Gohan pulled away abruptly and looked at her in confusion and surprise, panting heavily, having no idea what was going on with his girlfriend.

"Are you… are you okay?" he asked, worrying that he did something wrong.

Although her face was already flushed, it suddenly flared up even more as she realized what just happened. She looked away in embarrassment and rolled over to the side, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm… fine," she mumbled.

Gohan was kneeling over her, his arms on either side of her head. He frowned slightly, not very convinced. "What just happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Videl insisted, rubbing her thighs together. _But I think I need a change of underwear._

Gohan moved off of her and sat beside her, observing her thoughtfully. Videl sat up but still refused to meet his eyes. He frowned. He didn't understand what just happened, but for some reason it made Videl abashed. She didn't seem to want to tell him about it either.

He looked down at his pants and let out a sigh. He needed to get it down now. Maybe he'd better go home and take a cold shower. He didn't really want to part with Videl just yet though…

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," she replied, finally meeting his eyes with a sheepish smile. Gohan smiled back at her. She looked so adorable. "It just felt a little too good…" she mumbled, averting her gaze again.

Her words only confused him more. But Gohan supposed that if Videl felt good, then nothing bad had happened at least.

"Hey, how about we go eat somewhere? I'm getting a little bit hungry," he suggested, dropping the subject for good.

Videl smiled at him, and it was all the reassurance he needed. A rush of love washed over him.

Saturday couldn't come any faster!

ooOoo

Videl supposed it had been worth the trouble. As she looked herself in the mirror wearing the brand new outfit that Erasa had picked out for her, even though it had felt like forever as her best friend had dragged her to shop after shop and made her try on tons of outfits, despite her promise, the brunette had to admit, she looked _good_. In fact, Videl thought she looked amazing in that dress. Yes, you read that right: Videl actually agreed to wear a dress. The things she did for that boyfriend of hers… But it looked so good on her, Videl barely even cared – and she had on black leggings and flat laced-up boots, so her outfit was still comfortable enough to go fight crime if the need arose. While she'd pondered over leaving her watch behind for her date with Gohan, she knew he wouldn't want that. And besides, even if she did get a call from the police, Gohan would be coming with her as Saiyaman and they would just need to go back to wherever Gohan was taking her and pick things up where they left off.

The dress she had on was light blue, to complement her eyes; it was strapless and pushed up her breasts, making them look great and showing a decent amount of cleavage. The fabric was light and soft, it hugged her around the waist, down to her hips, then the skirt, which was quite short, opened with frilly layers at the edges. She completed the look with a cropped black cardigan, and with the leggings and the boots, it looked like she was wearing opaque tights. Erasa had advised her to wear her hair up and had added a few accessories for the final touch: a long necklace with an oval pendant that rested just below her chest, a few bracelets on her right wrist, seeing as she was wearing her watch on her left wrist, and earrings with pending emeralds.

All in all, Videl was impressed with how good she looked. She hoped to make Gohan freeze and stare at her, with that adorable blush streaked across his face.

Well, she would know soon enough. Grabbing a black purse on her way out of her room, Videl crossed the long hallway and went down the spiralling staircase to get to the main living area and wait for Gohan to come pick her up. It sure was nice not to need to hide their relationship from her dad anymore.

Speaking of, Hercule was sitting on the sofa and watching the sports channel. He turned to look at her as she walked over – and froze, his jaw dropping.

Videl blushed in delight. This was pretty much the reaction she was going for. Hopefully Gohan would be speechless when he saw her, too.

"You… you can't wear that," he finally uttered. "You look too… It's too revealing! You can't seriously go out wearing that little thing!"

It was like Hercule had suddenly woken up by his second sentence, his overprotective nature taking over. Videl simply shrugged and sat on an armchair.

"Well, that's what I'm wearing. If you've got complains, you can talk to Erasa: she's the one who picked out that outfit for me. I was merely her puppet during the process."

Hercule crossed his arms and pouted, clearly unsatisfied with his useless parental authority. In the end he sighed, his shoulders slumping, and admitted his defeat. His daughter was too old now to let him have a say in the things she wanted to do and the clothes she wanted to wear.

"So, where is he taking you?" he asked, deciding the best way to deal with his little girl growing up was to go along with the flow, as much as he wished she could just stay his little girl for a while longer.

"No idea. It's a surprise, and Erasa even helped him with it apparently."

Her smile made his chest feel tight. "How long have you been together?"

"About two weeks. Not very long, I guess," she added with a cute laugh. "It's so weird, I feel like I've always known him."

Hercule swallowed. A moment passed before he finally mustered the courage to ask, "You love him, don't you?"

Her whole face flared up and her eyes widened. "I…" She covered her lips with her hand, looking away. "Yes…" He could see a smile behind her fingers as her eyes unfocused, shining with that peculiar glint. "I really do. I love him."

It was the first time she ever said it aloud, and boy did it feel great. Videl wondered if it was too soon to tell Gohan how she felt. She had a feeling it wasn't, but she didn't want to make things awkward by making a wrong move. Ah well, there was no rush anyway. They had all the time in the world after all.

"Ah, where did the time go…?" her father sighed in despair. She smiled and got up to sit next to him on the sofa, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Don't worry, Daddy, I'll always be your little girl."

A warm feeling swelled in his heart as he hugged his daughter back. As long as things were good between them, nothing else really mattered. His relationship with his daughter was the most important thing in the world for him. He'd give up everything for her in a heartbeat. And he meant it.

"Videl, I have to ask you something," he said softly when they pulled away, looking her in the eye.

She waited for him to continue. He swallowed, but forced himself to go through with it. As much as he wished he could just pretend nothing had changed, he had to make things right.

"I know that you… you know about him being that superhero."

She looked at him in confusion, puzzled as to where her father was going with this. "Yes… Gohan told me. He didn't want to keep any secrets from me."

Hercule swallowed. That was what he'd dreaded. "Does that mean… Did he tell you… Do you know that I…" Hercule gulped again, unable to keep going, to actually say the words.

But he didn't need to. A flash of understanding went through her eyes. Videl smiled sadly. "Yeah, he told me about Cell too."

"And you…" Hercule sucked in a deep breath, giving himself the courage to finish this conversation. "You're not mad at me?"

"Gohan told me I shouldn't be," she said softly, looking down. "Because you taking his credit was the best outcome things could've taken. Because he'd just lost his dad and his mom was pregnant and he didn't need the media to worry about too."

The man felt ashamed. While he'd stole a young boy's hardest accomplishment and got famous and wealthy in the process, the ten-year-old was going through things no ten-year-old should be dealing with. He had no idea things had gotten so bad for the boy, that the man with the golden hair had died that day, that his wife had been expecting… How Gohan could have such a happy and carefree nature was a wonder. Was it just a front? Did Videl know the real him?

The doorbell rang, and Videl's whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. "He's here!" she exclaimed excitedly, getting up in a flash. She pecked her dad and said goodbye to him over her shoulder, rushing to the front door, probably hoping to answer before any maid or butler.

Hercule let out a deep, defeated sigh. Honestly, he couldn't have chosen a better suitor for Videl himself. He had to admit, Gohan was pretty much perfect for her, he was kind and honest, and he obviously made her happy, which was, in the end, all that really mattered.

And he just happened to be the one boy who actually fit his criteria as he was stronger than him. The man laughed to himself at the irony. Fate sure had a twisted sense of humor, that was for sure.

But as long as Videl was happy… He sighed again and picked up the framed photo on the living room table. Videl was twelve in that shot. Puberty had started to make her grumpy and she was scowling at the lens. He smiled in reminiscence, a wave of melancholy washing over him. His little girl…

A thought occurred to him. Now that he thought about it, it had been about two weeks since he hadn't seen Videl scowl like that.

Yes, that boy certainly made her happy. Hercule smiled. Yeah, it was a good thing. Videl was happy with that Gohan boy, and he was happy if she was happy.

He sighed again, his eyes prickling. Ah, if only she could've stayed a little girl just a little while longer…

ooOoo

She was beaming as she opened the door. Her grin turned into a smirk when Gohan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, his face lighting up in flames. She could see his gaze detailing her up and down, and felt some satisfaction when he stopped at her cleavage, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Videl could've laughed. It was even better than what she'd hoped. Gosh, he was adorable.

_So worth it._

She took the time to look him up and down too. Her cheeks tickled with warmth. Damn, Gohan looked _good._ He was wearing a dark, long-sleeved button up shirt, light gray dress pants and black dress shoes, giving him a clean appearance while looking sexy at the same time.

"Wow…" he breathed, finally finding his voice. "You look…" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I guess I have to thank Erasa for that, too." He moved closed and pulled her to him, cupping her cheek, giving her a warm, loving smile, his eyes shining with tenderness. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

And just like that he'd turned things right around, and Videl felt like a puddle a goo. She got to her tiptoes and kissed him, unable to stop herself. Gohan responded readily.

"So…" she murmured, flushed and breathless, when they pulled away. "Where are you taking me?"

"Someplace special." He kissed her forehead and swooped down to grab her hand. "Someplace I have to fly us to."

She raised her eyebrows and blinked. "Is it far?"

"Pretty far, yeah." He flashed her a mysterious smile as he pulled her outside and closed the door behind them. "And pretty high up in the sky, too. Way, way high."

Her brow crinkled in confusion, trying and failing to figure out where on earth Gohan could be taking her.

"And what would we be doing there?"

Gohan grinned and suddenly picked her up in his arms. "You'll see."

He pecked her lips before starting to hover above the ground. She held her breath, her arms wrapping around his neck instinctively. He smiled at her reassuringly, kissing her cheek, before flying off into the early evening sky.

The sun would be setting soon, he should hurry if he didn't want them to miss it. Erasa's ideas had worked pretty well for him so far and Gohan intended to follow that one advice as well. He figured the sunset would surely be a sight to behold, up high on Dende's Lookout.

Videl let her head rest in the crook of his neck, and Gohan smiled, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked so content and peaceful, obviously enjoying the flight. He wondered if he could teach her to fly by herself. Surely it wouldn't be too hard for her, given what a talented martial artist she was.

"We're reaching Center," she noticed. "You sure are fast."

"That's nothing. I'm taking it easy here," he grinned at her playfully. Her eyes lit up.

"Go faster."

They laughed as he raced through the sky at breakneck speed, looping and swooping along the way like a rollercoaster. They shared a grin as they locked eyes, and Gohan felt like telling her right then and there how much he loved her.

"Look! Dolphins! Wow!" Videl exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the ocean below them where a pod of dolphins were leaping over the sea.

A warm smile formed on his lips as he watched the woman he loved, her eyes sparkling in wonder. He brushed her bangs away and cupped her cheek, making Videl look back at him. "We're almost there."

Videl nodded her head happily. "It's so amazing to fly with you. It would've been a great date in itself," she laughed.

"Ah, but it's only the beginning." He winked at her, and grinned as he saw the tower from the distance. Flying faster had moved up the plan a little. Good thing everything was already set up there. "And we'll get there in a moment now."

Her eyes lit up as she looked around them, though she felt a bit confused as they were flying above a wild forest. That tower in the distance stood out though, and looking up, Videl wondered just how high up this tower was.

And then she remembered what Gohan had said earlier.

 _And pretty high up in the sky, too_. _Way, way high._

That must be the place. What could be up there? Why was Gohan taking her in that place?

As her boyfriend started to fly up along the tower just as she expected, Videl was bubbling up with excitement and anticipation. She couldn't wait to get there and finally know what this surprise of his was.

Erasa had been right – yet again – she shouldn't be surprised really: building up her expectations was only making her more and more excited about Gohan's surprise.

Soon enough – Gohan _was_ super fast after all – they reached the top of the tower, a saucer-like habitation, but to her surprise, Gohan didn't stop and kept flying higher and higher. They passed the top of the tower, and Gohan waved at a cat and a hairy little man who waved back at them, making Videl blink. She didn't know what to think anymore.

"You really weren't kidding!" she shouted over the rushing wind. "How high is that place?"

He laughed. "Just a lil' bit higher!"

She grinned back at him, raising her head to look up again, waiting to see whatever was so high up in the sky. And finally, there it was. A huge platform, looking like half a globe, floating in the air, supported by nothing at all. Gohan flew up over the round part and passed it, and then he stopped in mid-air, staying still, giving Videl a moment to take in the beautiful palace onto the platform.

"What… is this place?" she breathed in wonder.

"The Lookout of the Guardian of Earth."

Gohan's heels touched the tiled floor with a soft _clack_ , as Videl's mouth hung open in realization. "You took me… to _God's_ place?"

"Pretty much," Gohan grinned. "Well, he's _a_ god, lowercase. He and my mentor live here, along with Mr. Popo, god's servant. I'm told he's known a number of gods before the current one. I've brought you here to meet them."

Videl blinked. She couldn't believe where she was. She couldn't have guessed Gohan's plans in a million years. Just what kind of life had Gohan led? Who on earth knew a freaking _god_?

She hadn't even noticed Gohan had let her go and grabbed her hand. He pulled her over. "Come on. They're expecting us."

But Videl didn't budge, the significance of this whole ordeal suddenly hitting her. "I can't. Not dressed like this."

He gave her a look, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You look amazing."

"I look sexy, I know, because I thought it'd be just us and I wanted to make you drool at me."

Gohan raised both his eyebrows this time. "Well, mission accomplished, I guess?" he joked.

"Gohan, I can't meet a god like this!" she stressed, gesturing to herself with her free hand, as Gohan was still holding the other one. "I'm not dressed appropriately for that. You should've told me we were meeting such important people!"

Gohan paused, tilting his head. "Videl, they're asexual. You could be wearing a swimsuit and they wouldn't see a difference. You're fine the way you are, don't worry." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and his words did help ease her worry. Videl nodded and let out a deep breath.

"Okay. I guess it doesn't make much of a difference. You're really sure it's okay?"

He pulled her to him and kissed her lips softly. "You're the girl I've chosen, and who makes me so happy. It's more than okay."

It was so tempting to just tell her he loved her, but the moment had to be just right. It was only a matter of minutes now. He was planning to tell her after he introduced her to Piccolo, Dende and Mr. Popo, as they gazed upon the sunset. He was bubbling in anticipation.

"You make me happy too," she whispered, leaning into him, wrapping her arms around his back, letting her cheek rest against his chest.

"I'm glad I can do _something_ right," he joked, making her giggle. He kissed the top of her head and grabbed her hand again. "Come on, let's go."

Videl nodded, feeling nervous at the prospect of meeting such important people. She figured they must mean a lot to Gohan, seeing as he wanted to introduce her to them. Her chest swelled with love. That Gohan was so obviously serious about her, about them, that he was welcoming her in his life, into his world… It was making her so happy.

As they arrived by the entrance of the palace, Videl had not expected to see a candle-lit table set up by the edge of the platform. She looked up at Gohan, who grinned at her.

"I thought it'd be nice to watch the sunset while having a good meal," he explained. "Mr. Popo is an amazing cook, and he was kind enough to cook us dinner. Think of how much I eat, too," he added in a joking tone. Videl laughed slightly.

The man in question, a short, black-skinned, genie-like person, perked up as he saw them and stopped gardening in an instant, rushing over to them. "Gohan! It's great to see you!" He turned his constantly-wide eyes to Videl, smiling warmly at her. "And you must be Videl. Gohan told us about you. I'm Mr. Popo, Dende's servant. It's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed respectfully.

"Nice to meet you too." Videl bowed in turn..

Despite his odd appearance, kindness and friendliness was radiating from this man. Videl felt at ease in his company. _Dende must be the god's name_ , she figured.

"I'll go let them know you're here right away! You two arrived early."

But just as the genie was about to rush off in the castle, two men walked out of it. "We felt Gohan arrive, Mr. Popo," the smaller of the two said.

Funnily enough, they both had green skin and pointy ears. One had a white and purple turban on his head but Videl figured he had the same pair of antennas as the shorter one too. They looked alien, to be honest, which, given Gohan's origins, wouldn't be surprising.

"I'm Dende," the smaller green man said, smiling warmly at Videl. He held out his hand. "The custom on Earth is to shake hands upon greeting people, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes," Videl said, bowing as she held out her hand, then straightened up as she realized how stupid she must look, smiled sheepishly and shook the god's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, um…"

"Just call me Dende, everyone does," he said, pulling away. "I was just a kid when I took up the title, so everyone was used to act familiarly with me, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Okay." He did look young – really young, actually. Videl wouldn't be surprised if Dende was younger than her.

"And this is Piccolo," Gohan cut in, motioning to the huge green man wearing an odd attire, with a white cape and shoulder pads and a purple _gi_. He had stayed silent up to now, and as Videl looked up at him, he looked back at her gruffly, seeming unimpressed. "He was the one who taught me how to fight when I was a kid and he's always looked after me. Piccolo is my closest friend and kind of like a father figure."

"You talk too much, kid," Piccolo muttered, a pink tint appearing on his cheeks, and suddenly the giant man looked much less intimidating.

"I'm really happy to meet you, Piccolo. Is it okay if I call you Piccolo?"

"I've got no other name," he answered curtly.

Videl suddenly felt like she was under a microscope as the imposing man observed her, and she looked down, unable to hold his stare.

"So you're that Satan's kid, huh. Funny how things turn out."

Dende laughed slightly in his hand at the comment. Videl grinned and shared a humorous look with Gohan. "Tell me about it."

ooOoo

The sun was setting. His foot was tapping on the floor. The moment was coming. He took Videl's hand on the tablecloth, making her turn away from the colorful sky below them to look at him. They shared a smile, although Gohan knew he must look as nervous as he felt. He'd never been good at hiding how he felt. Which wasn't a bad thing now that he thought about it, seeing as that was how Videl figured out that he liked her. He remembered that moment fondly. He'd been such an idiot after that, thinking she'd rejected him – and to think, she'd had to yell at him in front of their peers at school so he would listen.

It'd made him so happy when she said she wanted to be his girlfriend. His feelings for her only kept growing and growing since that time. It was amazing how much love one could feel for another person.

And speaking of…

"I can't believe how lucky I am sometimes," he said softly. "To have found you, to be with you, somehow."

Videl smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling, and leaned over on his shoulder – their seats were adjacent from one another. He moved his chair closer to hers and wrapped his arm around her waist, watching the sunset with the girl he loved more than anything.

This was it. The perfect moment.

"Videl…" he murmured. She looked up. He cupped her cheek. "I–"

Her watch chose this precise moment to go off. He could've screamed in frustration.

"Geez, can't they give me a day off…? I swear… Maybe we should just let them handle things on their own," she mumbled grumpily, burying her nose in the crook of his neck as the constant beeping wouldn't shut up. "I don't want to move right now."

Gohan sighed. "As tempting as that sounds… We can't be selfish and let innocent people get hurt."

She looked at him again, giving him a resigned smile. "Why do you have to be right?"

He chuckled and kissed her lips lightly. "Come on, answer that call and let's go save the day together. We'll just pick things up where we left off once we're done there."

"Yeah, I guess…"

Begrudgingly, she pushed the button on her watch to answer the call. "This better be important."

" _The mayor and his family are taken hostage at his home! We don't know what to do!"_ the panicked cry of help came from the small device attached to her wrist.

In a second, Gohan and Videl went into hero mode. They nodded to each other, and Gohan picked Videl up before taking off to the sky in a flash, zooming off as fast as he could without turning Super Saiyan while making sure the wind wouldn't hurt the girl in his arms. He hesitated and wondered if he should transform to go faster, but they only had a few minutes left already.

Back on the Lookout, Dende's brow furrowed in concern.

"What's wrong?" Piccolo asked. "They're used to that stuff, so why are you making that face?"

"I'm not sure…" the Guardian answered slowly. "I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling…"

A trickle of sweat rolled down the tall Namekian's temple. If Dende had a bad feeling… Nothing good ever came out of a god's foreboding.

"You should go too, just in case," Dende said in worry. "And take some Senzu Beans with you," he added as an afterthought.

Gohan could probably handle it though. Well, Piccolo figured it wouldn't hurt to hang by and help if he was needed. Just in case…


	20. Bulletproof

He had landed on a roof a few blocks away and Videl had taken her jetcopter to get to the scene on her own, so as not to arise suspicion. After all, it would have looked a bit odd and puzzling if the Great Saiyaman had showed up carrying Videl in his arms, especially with Videl looking the way she did. They didn't need more unwanted attention, people were still speculating about their "strange encounter" earlier this week when Gohan had to forfeit the chess game against Mr. Satan to go help her fight criminals.

Something felt off the moment he got there. Gohan didn't know what it was, but as he touched down next to Videl in his Saiyaman suit, he'd grabbed her arm to stop her from going to talk to the police captain, as a sudden wave of worry submerged him.

She looked at him over her shoulder and gave him an inquiring look, clearly not sensing the danger. Well, of course she had to know this was dangerous, but Videl was used to these kinds of situations and Gohan knew she wouldn't let it get to her, and he liked that about her.

Still, the young superhero wished his girlfriend would sit this one out. He just had a bad feeling and he'd feel better if she just let him take care of the bad guys himself.

But…

"What is it?" she asked, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

Gohan didn't want to get in her way. He knew how much crime fighting meant to Videl and he couldn't bring himself to tell her how it affected him.

"Nothing…" he sighed in defeat. "Just… Please be careful, okay?"

She smiled and winked at him. "Always," she said, before headed off to speak with the captain.

He watched her with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Should he tell her how he felt? Should he be keeping this from her? This dread, this constant worry… He couldn't go on hiding it from her… could he? They were in a relationship, and if he wanted it to work, he should be honest with her, right?

But what would it accomplish? Videl would just feel bad, then again he could never ask her to stop doing something she loved, and it wasn't like he _actually_ wanted her to stop since it _was_ one of the many things he loved about her.

"What's the situation?" he asked the captain, catching up with Videl who had just started to speak with the ranked officer.

"Ah, Great Saiyaman, thank you for joining us, we're going to need all the help we can get," the black-skinned, mustached man said to him, relief washing over his face. "As I was telling Miss Videl, the Red Shark Gang has the domain under their control. They have men everywhere, dozens of them, and their leader who just broke out of jail wants his revenge on Miss Videl."

Gohan glanced at the girl in question with worry. Last time Videl faced that guy, it had been a close one and she'd almost gotten killed. Sure, she'd managed to take the upper hand at the last moment and knock the big guy out, but the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach only got worse at the mention of that mountain of a man.

Videl sighed in annoyance. "Ugh, some guys just can't take losing a fight. Well, I got him last time, I'll beat him again." She turned to Gohan, in crime fighter mode. "Saiyaman, you take care of the henchmen, and I'll take care of the leader. Again," she added, rolling her eyes.

He swallowed his protests, ignoring the alarms going off in his head. "Okay."

"It's nice seeing you two working together now," the captain commented. "Did something happen?"

"Err…" Gohan stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck in uneasiness.

"Now's not the time," Videl stated curtly. "Let's get to work."

Gohan sighed in relief as they sneaked into the domain together, hiding behind well-cut bushes. "That took me off guard… Should we make up something to explain that we get along now? Since you won't be trying to take off my helmet anymore either."

She shrugged. "We can just tell them the truth. Well, part of it," she added with a sideways smile, glancing at him. "That you showed me who you were and that now I trust you."

"Guess that works."

She turned to look at the mansion again. "I don't really get it. If the leader wants his revenge against me, I should be able to just walk in, right? Why isn't he letting me in?"

Gohan frowned. "Maybe he wants you to be weaker from fighting his men before you get to him."

"Makes sense, I guess." She shot him a smile. "Good thing you're here to take some of the workload off of me."

He smiled back, but Gohan knew it must have looked forced and worried. And sure enough, Videl furrowed her brow. She opened her mouth to say something, most likely to ask him if something was wrong, but just then they heard shouting nearby.

"Who's there?!" one of the hooded men yelled. Apparently they hadn't been very discreet with all their chitchatting.

Gohan jumped from his hiding spot and phased out, before reappearing behind the man and hitting him on the back of his neck, knocking him out instantly. But his shout had alerted the others and lamplights were moving from every direction.

"Shoot, we weren't quiet enough," Videl gritted her teeth. "I don't like this."

"It's fine," Gohan said, suddenly phasing in next to her. Videl jumped slightly. He grabbed her around the waist and used his super speed again to get on the roof of the mansion. He smiled at Videl as he let go of her. "There we go."

"Right. Superpowers. Must be nice not to fear anything."

Gohan gave her a look that said, _if you only knew._ Videl looked at him puzzled.

"Anyway, there's a way in from here," he said, walking past her, his red cape flowing behind him. "Let's get inside."

ooOoo

It all happened so fast – Gohan wasn't able to react in time.

Everything had gone according to plan as they made their way towards the leader of the Red Shark Gang. Gohan and Videl would knock out any henchman they encountered without breaking a sweat and soon enough, they found themselves in the wide and luxurious living area, where the mayor, his wife and two young sons, both no older than ten, were bound and gagged, men pointing their guns at them. The leader was sitting on a leather armchair and smoking a cigar when the hero duo got there.

"Well, well, well, I didn't expect you two to work so well together," he commented standing up. "Since last time you kept berating him," he said to Videl, who sneered at him in response. "I must say, though," he added, looking her up and down with lecherous eyes, licking his lips, "you look… quite nice. I almost feel bad I have to bruise that pretty face of yours."

Gohan clenched his fists, mustering all of his self-control not to rush that guy and beat him to a bloody pulp. Well, it would've certainly helped solve the situation faster, that was for sure.

"You done? Can we get started now?" Videl said in a bored tone. "You wanted a rematch, well, here I am, so let's get to business. I've got a hot date waiting for me." She walked to face the giant man and got in her fighting stance.

"Ooohhh, that's right, you got yourself a boyfriend, I read about that," he snickered. "That explains the hot dress. Lucky guy, that boyfriend of yours." He got down in his fighting stance as well and smirked evilly. "Well, not so much now, since you're gonna be dead after I'm done with you. Hope he got to do you before I kill you, now that'd be a waste wouldn't it?"

Videl's face flared up with a mix of anger and embarrassment, and without waiting any longer she attacked. Gohan wanted to stay and watch, to make sure nothing happened to her, but the mayor's family needed him right now. He swallowed, his fists still tightly clenched, his anger at the leader still boiling hot – but he had to keep a clear head.

He hoped Videl wasn't going to let her feelings get in the way of her better judgement. Anger may become a weapon for Saiyans, but for humans, it usually clouded their judgement and caused them to make stupid mistakes.

As he phazed out and started taking care of the henchmen surrounding the poor, scared family, his bad feeling got worse than ever. Gohan made sure to keep track of Videl's _ki_ 's fluctuations, hoping that, like last time, he wouldn't need to intervene.

Videl could take care of herself, right?

Unlike the last time they fought, where they had both seemed evenly-matched, Videl easily had the upper hand this time around. Or so it seemed. She was about to kick the side of the giant's head when he caught her leg out of the blue, and then he grinned evilly at her before slapping her across the face with the back of his hand with such force that it sent her crashing down on the living room table, the glass breaking upon the impact.

Gohan's whole body froze – even his heart. The bad guy he had been about to punch even tried to hit him, although it had no effect whatsoever on him, obviously, so the man got out his gun and fired, but that didn't work either, the bullets bouncing right off the paralyzed superhero.

In the background, the leader was laughing maniacally.

Slowly, Gohan turned to Videl. He couldn't breathe. Shards of glass everywhere. And Videl, lying there, her eyes wide, holding her stomach. Something was sticking out of it, tearing the top of her dress. The blue fabric had turned red, stained with blood.

Suddenly, like shot with electricity, Gohan snapped out of it and was by Videl's side in a flash. He kneeled down and held her, he could still feel her _ki_ , but it was faint, he had to hurry and bring her to the hospital, and then he could bring Dende so he could heal her or something, but for now, the hospital was the closest and he didn't have any time to lose.

"G… Gohan…" she croaked out, trying to gain control over her breathing. He hated seeing her so scared and hurt. "I… I can't feel… my legs…"

"It'll be okay Videl," he said, picking her up carefully. "You'll be okay, I promise." He started to run, holding her close to his heart. In the back of his head, he remembered that the mayor and his family were still held hostage and the gang was nowhere near taken care of, but right now, all he could think about was Videl.

"I'm so… cold…"

"No, Videl, don't close your eyes! Stay awake, please! You can't let yourself go, Videl, you have to fight!" His voice was cracking and he was tearing up but Gohan bottled it down. He had to hold it together for her.

He opened a window and flew out, trying to remember where the hospital was – he could barely think straight in his current state.

"You're gonna be all right, you're gonna be all right," he kept repeating as he flew as fast as he possibly could, a golden aura glowing around them. It was like he was trying to convince himself. Or maybe he was praying.

Luckily for Gohan, the god of Earth was a close friend of his.

He heard the familiar voice in his head and stopped dead in his tracks. " _Gohan!"_ Piccolo's voice shouted in his mind _. "Behind you! Catch!"_

He barely had time to realize what was happening when his instincts took over and he turned around in a flash, still holding Videl close with one arm, and caught the tiny object flying at him with his other hand. When he opened his palm, his eyes lit up.

Quickly, he pried Videl's mouth open and put the bean inside. "Here, Videl, it's a Senzu Bean, it'll heal you. Just swallow."

She frowned in confusion, but he could see that she trusted him, so she mustered her last reserves of energy to chew the hard bean and swallow.

And Gohan could finally breathe normally again.

He was crushing her in his arms the next moment. His shoulders were shaking, he was unable to hold it in anymore. He felt pitiful and stupid but he couldn't help it; he was sobbing on her shoulder, holding her for dear life.

"I… I thought… I was losing you…" he hiccupped. " _Thank you, Piccolo. Thank you so much."_ he added through the telepathic link.

" _You're lucky Dende sent me. I'll take care of the rest, you take care of her."_

Gohan sniffed. He pulled away slightly, still holding Videl as they were still hovering in the sky – good thing it was nighttime and nobody down there seemed to notice them – and rubbed his nose with his gloved hand. Wordlessly, he floated over to a rooftop and touched down, then, he pushed the button on his watch to change back to his clothes, and the next moment he was crushing Videl in his arms again.

"You almost died… I couldn't protect you. I wasn't fast enough… I thought as long as I was with you, I could make sure nothing would happen to you, but…"

Videl pulled back slightly to look at him, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Gohan, everything turned out fine, see? I don't know how you did it, but you saved me. You saved me, Gohan."

"No, it's not okay!" he snapped abruptly, pushing her away, alarm and fear cracking his voice. He started pacing. "I wasn't fast enough! If it hadn't been for Dende and Piccolo, you could've died, and there was nothing I could've done about it! If I can't protect you, I'm going to lose you at some point and I –" He fell to his hands and knees in desperation, tears streaming down his face, blotching the cement. "I just _can't_. I can't lose you, Videl."

"Gohan…" Videl put her knee down beside him and rubbed her hand on his back. He turned his tear-filled eyes at her, sniffling and hiccupping. "I…" But she stopped. She didn't know what to say, what words could possibly ease and mend Gohan's hurting heart.

"I love you," he blurted out, knocking the air right out of her lungs. "I love you too much to lose you, Videl, and I can't stand the idea of you getting hurt, or worse, and I know there's nothing I can do about it because it's what you do, it's who you are, and it's one of the many things I love about you." He smiled sadly and cupped her cheek. "I love you so much, Videl. You are everything to me, and I can't imagine my life without you." His shoulders slumped, and he pulled her closer, pressing his forehead against hers. "I guess I'm just gonna have to get over it and learn to live with the danger looming over your head, huh?"

"Gohan…" Her voice was breaking. He winced at her tone, so dejected and helpless.

"This sucks…" he sighed, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "I'm a snivelling mess," He sniffled again for emphasis, "and now I've made you cry… This was not how it was supposed to go… and I had the whole thing planned out."

"I'm not crying…" she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight. "What do you mean, you had it all planned out?"

"The way I was supposed to tell you that I love you," he whispered, his cheeks reddening. "It was supposed to be on our date tonight – I was just about to tell you when your watch went off. That damn watch of yours…"

She smiled wistfully, remembering that beautiful sunset on top of the Lookout, and Gohan suddenly saying her name and cupping her cheek and looking her right in the eye. It would've been quite the romantic love profession – no doubt Erasa's idea.

She pulled back and smiled at him, wiping his face with her sleeve.

"Gah, don't do that, I'm pathetic enough as is," he protested weakly. In response, She leaned in and kissed him deeply. Gohan felt his heart glow at the feeling, the weight in his gut slowly melting away as he deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around the girl he loved and crushing her all against him.

"No you're not," she panted, her heavy breaths tickling his lips. She held his face between her palms and made him look at her, offering him an adorable smile. "And, for the record, I love you too."

He felt like crying again.

"Yeah, I had a feeling," Gohan laughed slightly, half-heartedly.

Videl stroked his cheek, searching his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," he answered honestly, letting out a sigh. "I'm still going to worry about you, but there isn't much I can do about it, because there's no way I could ever ask you to stop crime fighting. You would never listen to me anyway, right?"

"But I don't want you to feel this way every time I go out and fight crime…"

"So we're in a dead end…"

She sighed and let her head rest on his shoulder. He tightened his arms around her, pressing his cheek against the top of her head.

"Can you take me home?" she asked softly. "I'd like to get out of this bloodied thing and take a shower."

"Of course."

ooOoo

Captain Kolt had expected Miss Videl and the Great Saiyaman to come back giving them the okay to get in and bring everybody in, but it was someone else entirely who flew back towards him holding the unconscious leader of the Red Shark Gang by the scruff of his neck.

The man was huge and intimidating, and not only because his skin was green and his teeth were sharp and his ears pointy and he was wearing this weird white armor-like cape and looked overall alien and dangerous. Okay, maybe it was all of the above.

"Something happened so I had to step in. The kids had to leave."

His voice was gruff and sounded annoyed, like he'd rather do anything else than report to such a lesser being. The captain had to take a second to register that he meant Miss Videl and the Great Saiyaman by "the kids."

"What happened?" he couldn't help but ask, even though he felt like cowering at the dark scowl the green giant shot him.

"The girl got hurt, but she's fine now. They both had to leave, so I took care of the rest. Just send your men in and do your job, I'm done here. You're welcome."

With that, and a majestic flap of his white cape, the green fighter flew into the night sky. The Police Captain got his bearing just in time to shout a rushed "Thank you!" after him.

ooOoo

She was in the bathroom and he was sitting on her bed, waiting for her to be done. He raised an eyebrow when the door opened. Her hair was still wet, and she was wearing another dress, this one a little less flashy however. It was strapped with navy blue and white stripes, and the skirt came down to her mid-thigh. Gohan had expected Videl to put on her usual comfortable clothes.

"What?" she smiled. "We're still on a date, you know."

He smiled, stood up and walked over to her, wrapping her in his arms. She sighed in delight and hugged him back, resting the side of her head against his muscular chest. He ran his fingers through her humid hair, breathing the delectable smell of her shampoo. His heart swelled with warmth.

"I love you so much," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm glad I was finally able to say it, at least. Even if it didn't go as planned."

"It doesn't matter. I'm glad you said it. I wasn't sure if it was too soon to tell you I love you."

Gohan chuckled. "I decided the hell with it – I've been dying to say it to you for too long. I could barely contain myself this week."

"We've only been dating for a couple weeks, how is that too long?" she giggled.

"Every minute without telling you felt like an eternity."

"You're so sappy."

"Well, who's fault is that?"

She laughed, tightening her arms around his neck. "Oh, I love you _so_ much."

Her words warmed his heart, but at the same time, it couldn't shake off the fear and dread gripping at it. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck. "I can't lose you, Videl… I don't think I could live on without you."

"Don't say that…"

"Maybe…" he started, an idea starting to form in his head. "Maybe, if you become stronger… if you become bulletproof…"

"Bulletproof? That's your thing, Gohan. I couldn't possibly…" She pulled back to look at him doubtfully, but maybe with a little bit of hope. "Could I?"

"It's not a Saiyan thing, to be bulletproof," Gohan explained. "I know a group of humans who got strong enough to be able to catch bullets like me."

She gaped. "For real?"

"One of them could train you," Gohan went on, getting excited by the idea. "Yeah… I'm sure Krillin would help. He's one of the strongest martial artists I know and he's one hundred percent human."

"Why don't you train me instead?"

He gave her an awkward smile. "I don't think I could. The way I was taught… Piccolo was ruthless with me – brutal – and it's the only way I know to train someone. But with you I could never… I mean, I can't barely stand the idea of you getting a bruise, so there's no way I could train you. But I know people who can. It's the summer break soon, so you'll be able to get an intensive training during that time. You could be bulletproof by the end of the break."

"You really think that? I mean… That sounds so surreal to me."

He grinned at her. This could be the solution. It was giving him hope. "Of course. I was thinking of teaching you how to fly earlier actually, and I guess we could start with that."

"Wait, wait, wait…" She put her hand on his chest, as if to steady herself. "I could _fly_?"

"Most of my abilities were taught to me, and the group of human fighters I was talking about? They can do pretty much everything I can do. I'm just stronger because of my Saiyan side, and I can transform."

"Right…" she said, but she could barely wrap her head around what Gohan was telling her. "So I could… fly… and become bulletproof…"

He smiled, beaming down at her, and brushed her bangs away from her eyes, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "And when you do, I wouldn't need to be so worried all the time, because then I'd know that you don't need my protection, that even if I'm not fast enough to save you, you would be strong enough to take care of yourself."

His eyes, his touch, it was making her melt, and Videl felt like agreeing to everything Gohan said just so he would keep smiling at her like that.

"Okay," she said, before pulling his head down and kissing him.

As he kissed her back, Gohan felt the familiar, urging heat in his stomach, and he pulled back before things got too heated. "I should go, it's pretty late."

"Or…" she breathed, sliding the strap of her dress off her shoulder. "… you could stay, and we could, you know…"

Fire alarms sounded off in his head. Gohan swallowed. He couldn't believe she was actually asking him to… His hands trembled at his sides. Videl took a few steps back and sat on the bed, leaning back on her hands, clearly inviting him.

But he couldn't move. He mustn't.

"Unless you don't want me…?" she whispered, looking away, her face turning red.

"That… That's not… I mean of course I want you, but…"

She glanced his way with a shy smile. "But what? I love you, and you love me, and we both obviously want to, so why should we wait?"

His eyes widened and his face flared up when Videl started lowering her dress, revealing the black lacey bra she was wearing. Gohan was paralyzed, and before he knew it, she was sitting there, on her bed, in her sexy underwear.

And his pants suddenly felt too tight.

"Why… Why do you want to do it now?" he croaked out, finally finding his voice. His question made her pause as she was about to unhook her bra. Whew, just in time. "Is it really from love, or is it because our hormones are going crazy?" Which they were.

Videl tilted her head. "What's the difference? Our hormones are going crazy _because_ we love each other. I wouldn't feel this way if I didn't love you, Gohan."

"I know, it's just…" He forced himself to look away, lest she enticed him with her gorgeous body and her inviting, beautiful blue eyes. "I want the moment to feel perfect. I want… I don't know, but I don't want it to happen like this. Tonight was a mess and I don't want to relate our first time together with the time you almost died in my arms."

He was getting emotional just thinking about it and he knew she could hear it in his voice. Videl got up and went towards him, wrapping him in a comforting hug. He hugged her back, desperately, wishing, hoping, praying that nothing like tonight would ever happen to Videl again, that he wouldn't ever feel so helpless and scared again, that he would never, ever, _ever_ find himself holding Videl's cooling, bloodied body in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Gohan," she said softly. "I understand… I just love you so much it drives me crazy sometimes."

He flushed at her words. "Yeah, I know the feeling…"

It occurred to him that she was still in her underwear. Gohan suddenly pulled away and took a step back, making sure to avoid looking at her.

"You should, um, put your dress back on."

Videl's face flared up, looking down at herself. "Geez, I feel like a horn dog," she muttered, grabbing her dress and putting it on hastily. "If it weren't for you…"

"Trust me, I'm no better than you," Gohan sighed, his gaze dropping to his hard-on tightening his pants. "I think I'm just more of a romantic."

Videl laughed. "I guess that's true."

He grinned, and then pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. Videl melted in his arms, and he tightened them around her waist.

"I love you…" he whispered against her lips.

She beamed at him. "I love you too, Gohan. So much."

He kissed her again, submerging himself in the taste of her, in her scent, her curves pressed up against him. It wasn't helping his growing erection, but he just couldn't stop kissing her. Her lips were just too addicting.

They ended up lying on the bed, Gohan on top of Videl, kissing, tasting each other's skin, hands wandering everywhere…

"Hey…" Videl panted deeply as Gohan planted hot kisses along her neck. "I thought… you wanted to wait?"

"I do… But as long as we don't go too far…" He raised his head and rubbed his nose on hers. "I don't see the harm in having some fun with the girl I love…" His hand went under her dress, along her thigh, and Videl held her breath, shivers running along her skin.

How she wished he would touch her _there_. He was so close, too… But she knew he wouldn't go that far. Not yet.

He kissed her again, deeply, tenderly, and she melted completely. She let all these delicious sensations wash over her, while she floated along. She felt his hard-on against her crotch and moaned against his lips, rubbing herself all against him. Ahh… It felt so good…

Indeed, Gohan was right. A little fun wouldn't hurt. And she was certainly enjoying it.

ooOoo

It happened again. They had been fooling around on her bed for a while, touching, kissing, nibbling, rubbing, fondling, grinding… And then Videl's whole body started convulsing and she let out a surprised squeak. And then she flushed.

"What… What was that?" Gohan asked in confusion, out of breath, still lying on top of her. "It happened last time too, at the park, didn't it?"

Videl hid her face with her hands and groaned. "Ah, this is so embarrassing…"

"What is it? Videl," he said her name, and tried to pry her hands off her flushed face, but she wouldn't let him. "Videl, look at me. It's okay, you can tell me."

"Why can't you just figure it out so I don't have to say it?" she complained.

"But I… I don't understand…"

She heaved out a deep sigh and finally removed her hands from her face, glaring at him half-heartedly. "What do you think happens when you… stimulate a girl, genius?"

His eyes narrowed in deep thought, his brow furrowed. "I don't know… You get hot?"

"And…?"

Gohan sighed in impatience and got off of her, sitting on the bed. "Can't you just tell me? I don't know much about that sort of thing. You're the only girl I've ever been with, and the only girl I'll ever be with, so if you don't tell me, I'll never know."

At that, Videl burst out laughing – she couldn't help it. He was so adorably, hilariously clueless.

Gohan blushed and crossed his arms, upset that Videl was laughing at him. Usually it didn't bother him, but the pent up frustration in his pants wasn't helping his mood.

"Are you done laughing at me yet?" he asked, vexed, as her laughter started to die down.

"I'm sorry," she giggled, moving closer to him to wrap her arms around his neck. "You're just so cute."

"Can you finally tell me what happened then?"

She sighed in defeat. "Fine…" Her face flared up brightly and she looked away. "I… finished."

But her choice of word only confused Gohan more. "Finished… what?"

She groaned in frustration. His cluelessness wasn't so adorable anymore. "Oh, come on, _you know_ …" Videl sighed again, utterly beaten. "Like when you have sex…?"

Finally, there was light: Gohan's eyes flashed with understanding. "Oh…!" And then there was embarrassment. " _Oh…_ "

For a moment they both sat there on the bed, at good distance, blushing brightly, avoiding each other's eyes.

"… Can I use your shower?" Gohan finally asked. "I mean, I'm still… pent up and all…" He flushed brighter.

"Sure… Go ahead."

She needed some time to collect herself anyway.


End file.
